About
Every great journey starts with values.
The Values Institute is the global home of core values research, certification, training and tools. We exist to make the science of values accessible to anyone who wants to live and lead with more clarity, purpose and performance.
Why we exist
Knowing your values and living them are two very different things.
Founded in 2018, the Values Institute produces original research into how values shape human behavior, performance and wellbeing. The Global Values Report 2026 — The Values-Living Gap — draws on 9,327 respondents across 114 countries and surfaces one of the most consistent findings in the literature: values clarity is necessary, but not sufficient.
That gap — between insight and action — is what everything here is designed to close. The free Values App, the articles, the book, the course, and the Values Coach Certification all serve that same purpose.
Our vision
We see a future built on values.
A future where individuals are clear about their core values — choosing careers and lifestyles that bring fulfilment, and the sense of purpose a changing world demands.
Where communities align on shared values to build trust and psychological safety — on a sports team, in a workplace, across a neighbourhood.
And where values become the anchors of better decisions and clearer, more coherent communication.
What we stand for
Our values
Three values guide everything we build.
Curiosity
We question assumptions, follow the evidence and keep experimenting. Innovation is how we turn rigorous research into tools people can actually use.
Service
We exist to help people live better. Every report, tool and programme is measured by the difference it makes in a single person's life.
Community
Values are lived together, not alone. We connect individuals, teams and coaches into a network aligned around what matters most.
Founded by Bradley Hook
Brad Hook is a speaker, author, facilitator and entrepreneur based in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand. He is the author of Start With Values (Penguin, 2025) and the creator of the FLAME Method — a holistic performance framework for leaders and teams navigating the age of intelligence.
Over two decades, Brad has delivered keynotes, workshops and leadership programs for organizations including PwC, Bridgestone, Electronic Arts, Fonterra and Fletcher Building. He has partnered with Chartered Accountants Worldwide, been featured in Entrepreneur magazine, and directed the documentary Waves of Freedom.
Why values? The science.
Values aren't a soft topic. The research is unambiguous — and it has been for decades.
Participants who affirmed their values had significantly lower cortisol responses to stress, compared with control participants.
Relatively little has been written on the benefits of self-disciplined articulation of a philosophical worldview and core values that help us weather the storms that inevitably rock our lives and careers.
Our mission
Building a global network of values coaches
Our mission is to build the world's leading network of values coaches — powered by the world's best values assessment technology — and to help people everywhere lead happier, more fulfilling lives. People are joining from around the world, using their values to live and lead with more clarity, and training to guide others.