Values › Freedom › Independence
Core value · Freedom family
Independence
Not relying on others to get by
Also covers Self-reliance
What does independence mean as a core value?
Independence as a core value means being able to manage on your own, with your own income, skills and judgement, so your life doesn’t hinge on anyone else showing up.
You like to know you could manage on your own. Your own income, your own skills, your own way home at the end of the night. Independence as a core value often has a history: a moment you learned that relying on others was risky, or a pride in having built things yourself. You can ask for help. It just rarely feels comfortable. Self-reliance gives you a steadiness you value.
What does independence look like in practice?
- You learn to fix the thing yourself before calling someone.
- You keep your own savings, whatever your relationship status.
- You work out a new system by trial and error before anyone offers a walkthrough.
- You make sure you can get home under your own steam.
- You feel uneasy when a project hangs on a single person you can’t influence.
When is independence overplayed?
Self-reliance can turn into isolation. You carry things alone that others would happily share, turn down help in ways that feel like rejection, and end up exhausted doing everything yourself. As a leader, it can make you a bottleneck and leave your team underused. People who love you may feel they aren’t needed. The healthy version sees choosing to rely on someone as a strength in its own right. This week, you could take one thing someone has offered to help with and say yes.
Often confused with
Independence vs Autonomy
Autonomy is about having the say over your own choices. Independence is about being able to manage without anyone else’s help.
Independence vs Freedom
Freedom is about few constraints on how you live. Independence is about not depending on others, which can mean taking on more constraints, like a job you’d rather not do.
Independence vs Resourcefulness
Resourcefulness is finding a way with whatever is available, including other people. Independence prefers the way that doesn’t need them.
Questions to sit with
- When did you last ask for help before you really had to, and how did it feel?
- Where did you learn that relying on others was risky?
- Who around you would like to be needed by you more than they are?
More values in Freedom
Independence, choice and room to be yourself.
About the author
Matt Rutherford is a Career and Leadership Coach. The Values Finder is the same exercise he uses with his coaching clients. He also writes Stuff that MattRs, a weekly newsletter with practical ideas to help you think clearer and work better.
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