As we begin to approach the Christmas season, gifts and gift-giving might be on your mind. Here at Core Values Counseling, we believe one of the most valuable and life-altering gifts you can give or receive is an understanding of the Core Values Index™ — and how your core values inform and direct every aspect of your life.
The Core Values Index™ (CVI™) measures your unique combination of four core values (what energizes you): Builder, Merchant, Innovator, and Banker. Most of us have one or two dominant values.
We like to think of your core values as gifts that you were given at conception; your core values are the DNA of your soul. To become the person you want to be, you need to fully understand the beauty of who you are.
The CVI™ measures those innate, unchanging values at the core of who you are. And unlike other “personality assessments,” the CVI™ has a 97.7% repeat score reliability after 10 years. That’s extremely high! We cannot overstate the value of understanding your unique CVI profile.
Let’s take a look at the four core values and the gifts each one possesses.
Builder: Power
Builders possess a power that’s supported by faith. The power component means they have a value within themselves that allows them to see what needs to be done, intuitively know how to do it, and then actually do it. Builders are doers and go-getters (think Bob the Builder and Rosie the Riveter types).
The faith part shows up as that sense of inner knowing and faith in themselves — or self-confidence — in how to do it.
At their best, when making the most of their potential, Builders are really strong leaders. A Builder is definitely someone you want on your team to get things done, especially when it comes to tangibles and projects.
Merchant: Love
Merchants are characterized by the gifts of love and truth (Sabrina is a Merchant). They intuitively know and understand the internal workings — and core values — of other people. The Merchant can love people deeply and excels at connecting people with one another (Sabrina’s brother, John, was a high Merchant Connector-of-People Extraordinaire).
The Merchant intuitively sees the truth, even if they don’t know how they can see it. They’re highly visionary and can envision their best future as well as the best futures of others. To be a Merchant is to be a seer of souls. Merchants are also able to share truth in a way that people can hear. And because people know they’re loved by the Merchant, they’re able to hear hard truths.
Innovator: Wisdom
Innovators are known for their wisdom and compassion. This wisdom allows Innovators to observe, stay curious, see problems, and know what to do about them. Oftentimes, they have great minds for engineering. They love to solve problems.
The compassion piece supports the wisdom. When Innovators see a problem, they stick with it — with compassion and tenacity. And, in the spirit of the Latin translation of compassion (“to suffer with”), they treat problem-solving with a certain reverence: the problem is important, and the Innovator will not give up until it is solved. They’ll stick with it — with compassion — to make things better. (This applies to people and projects alike.)
Banker: Knowledge
Bankers are rooted in knowledge and justice. (Sabrina’s two Banker sons also insist that “excellence” is key to this type.) Bankers strive for things to be really great. They’re great at taking an existing process and making it better. Continual improvement is the name of the game. Bankers are also the ones who will make sure everyone is okay, no matter what. They’re knowledgeable resource managers, too. Bankers ensure there’s always money in the coffers and food in the fridge. They want to be ready to face any kind of disaster. They see it as their duty to do what is right at all times, for other people and for themselves. Bankers aren’t greedy with their knowledge; it’s meant for themselves and everyone else they’re involved with.
The justice piece of this is that Bankers are convinced that there’s a way forward that is correct, and they’re always looking for that right way forward, for themselves and others. Bankers are often nonprofit leaders and social justice-oriented.
What’s Your Primary Core Value?
If you haven’t already taken the CVI™ assessment, now is a perfect time to learn more about yourself and the people you care about. Take the free assessment here. And if you’d like to share your results with us, we’d love to hear about it!
