When Values Are Non-Negotiable: A Leadership Pep Talk from the Field

By Annisa Teich, Founder + Principal, The Small Business Collective

There’s a lot of talk these days about being value-driven in business — and rightfully so. But here’s the rub: it’s easy to say you’re leading with values. It’s much harder to do it when it actually costs you something.

I’ve been reminded of that firsthand lately.

Recently, I found myself navigating a tough situation in a professional organization I help lead. We had been pouring time and energy — mine included, often at the expense of my own businesses — into reshaping something that could truly support small businesses in a meaningful, modern way. The structure was still forming, the values were still being clarified — but the intention was clear. We were building something better.

Until we weren’t.

All it took was one toxic presence — one person who actively undermined the very spirit of what we were trying to build — to challenge our progress. And instead of addressing the issue head-on, many around me hesitated. But here’s the good news: this time, we made the hard — but right — choice.

After some difficult, honest conversations, the organization ultimately decided to move forward without that individual — someone whose presence had plagued the organization for many years. And because of that, we’ve avoided the kind of misalignment that, in the past, might have pushed me to walk away. We protected the foundation we’ve worked so hard to lay, and that matters deeply.

This isn’t the first time I’ve been in this situation. Flashback to college: I joined a sorority that promised to be “different.” It was being re-founded from the ground up — an underdog space for women who didn’t fit the typical Greek Life mold. I was in. I served on the board. I led PR. I coordinated with the Girl Scouts.

And then, with the second recurring season, we were tasked with meeting some pretty big numbers set forth by a very big school, to hold our charter that year. Leadership caved. Standards dropped. We let in members who didn’t align with the core values we were just beginning to establish. The mission blurred into something else — something I didn’t sign up for. I found myself playing clean-up — literally and figuratively — for behavior that didn’t represent us. So, myself and a few others made the difficult decision to step away.

That experience shaped how I lead today. And while this recent challenge echoed some of that same tension, this time, the outcome was different — because this time, the leadership chose alignment over pacification. They didn’t take the easy way out — they took the hard step forward.

I’m not sharing this to stir drama or gain sympathy. I’m sharing it because too many leaders, especially women in business, shrink themselves in rooms where they should be standing tall. We tell ourselves it’s not worth the battle. We justify. We downplay.

But integrity isn’t a branding exercise. It’s a daily practice. And it’s especially critical when we’re leading others — whether that’s a board, a business, or a community.

If you’re reading this and feeling that nudge — the one that tells you something’s misaligned in your business, your team, your network — listen to it. It’s not weakness. It’s wisdom. And choosing to act on it isn’t risky. It’s revolutionary.

You deserve to be in rooms that reflect your values. And if that room doesn’t exist yet? Build it.

I’ll be over here doing the same.