Authenticity Audit: Spotting When Leadership Values Are Painted on Walls, Not Lived

Written By Cari Borden

Walk into almost any office and you’ll see it, the wall of values.
Bold fonts. Sleek posters. Maybe even a mural with inspirational words like Integrity. Teamwork. Innovation. Respect.

But here’s the question: are those values lived in the hallways, or just painted on the walls?

Because let’s be real, words don’t create culture. Behaviors do.

The “Painted Values” Red Flags

If you’re not sure whether those slogans are authentic or just corporate wallpaper, here’s your quick authenticity audit:

The Meeting Test
Do leaders actually show up with integrity, respect, and accountability in the room? Or does the value of “Respect” evaporate the second someone disagrees with the boss?
The Policy Gap
Does HR policy reflect “People First,” or is it more “People Until They Get Too Expensive”?
The Promotion Pathway
If “Diversity” is plastered on the website, look around the leadership table. Does it look like the values, or does it look like a country club?
The Crisis Check
Values are easy in calm waters. In a storm, layoffs, restructuring, client loss—do leaders protect their people or just their bonuses?

Why It Matters

When values are only wall décor, employees know it. And once the disconnect between say and do becomes obvious, trust is gone. Without trust, performance slides. Morale drops. Innovation dies.

Translation: fake values cost real money.

The Authenticity Reset

So, how do leaders pass the authenticity audit?

Stop decorating. Start demonstrating. Employees would rather see messy, real efforts at living values than polished posters.
Make values actionable. If “Collaboration” is a value, measure leaders on how well they share credit, not how often they put “team player” on a slide deck.
Invite accountability. A true culture of integrity means anyone, from intern to executive, can call out when actions don’t match words.

Final thought: If your leadership values can only survive as art on the wall, they’re not values, they’re marketing.
Culture isn’t what you frame. It’s what you practice.

👉 If you’re ready to run your own “authenticity audit” on leadership values and culture, I help organizations and leaders turn the words on the wall into behaviors people actually believe. Connect with me on Fiverr or my blog LeadBoldly1.blog.