Charlie Curson

This powerful yet practical exercise helps you identify your core values and the beliefs that sit beneath them.

It draws from Be More Strategic, Chapter 2: The Foundation Practices where we explore self-awareness through the Human Iceberg model.

Your values and beliefs are the deeper layers of that iceberg: the hidden forces shaping how you think, decide, and behave often unconsciously.

“Until you understand what drives you, you’ll struggle to steer yourself.”

Becoming more self-aware means learning to name these inner drivers and to question whether they still serve you today.

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Values act as your inner compass; beliefs determine how you interpret the world.

Together, they influence:

• What you prioritise and protect

• How you make decisions under pressure

• How you judge success and failure

• How you show up as a colleague, leader, partner, or parent

When values and beliefs are unconscious, they run you.

When they’re conscious, you can choose how to live them and that’s where growth and being strategic begin.

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You can do this on your own, with a coach, or with a trusted friend or colleague.

Take 20–30 minutes of quiet time. Have a notebook or digital copy ready.