Character -- Why It Matters In Leaders

"Character is much easier kept than recovered." -Thomas Paine

"The best index to a person's character is (a) how he treats people who can't do him any good, and (b) how he treats people who can't fight back." -Abigail van Buren

"Good character is more to be praised than outstanding talent. Most talents are to some extent a gift. Good character, by contrast, is not given to us. We have to build it piece by piece?by thought, choice, courage, and determination." -John Luther Long

____________________________________________

Here is a simple tip for aspiring leaders ? It is far better to have character than to be one.

I once heard Bob McEwen (former Congressman from Ohio) define character as the combination of morality and integrity. According to his definition, morality is not doing the wrong thing while integrity is having the strength to do the right thing.

Based on this definition, character is not something you just have. You must work to build character every day. It is something that develops over time, but is destroyed in a moment.

Why, as a leader, is character a big deal?

Without even considering the moral and legal implications of character lapses, just look at the impact on your organization. As John Maxwell says, "Everything rises and falls on leadership." By this standard, your personal character will become the character of your organization. Consider these facts:

? 58% of workers surveyed indicated that employee fraud would decrease if managers (company leaders) were better role models (Oct 2002, Ernst & Young, "The CPA Letter")

? 80% of people surveyed indicated that they decide to buy a firm's goods or services partly on their perception of its ethics (2003, Wirthlin Worldwide)

? Unethical behavior leads to more sabotaging behavior in the workplace, such as:

o Under delivering on commitments

o Over promising to win a customer or gain support for a project

o Wasting time and energy guarding turf

o Lowering goals to avoid failure rather than striving for excellence

o Padding the budget to look better

o Fudging results to stay competitive

o Hiding facts

o Skipping over details

o Withholding praise from others

o Hogging credit

o Shifting or buffering blame

o Looking for scapegoats

(Case Western Reserve University, Online Ethics Center for Engineering and Science)

As you can see from the results of these studies, the character of the leader affects not only the behavior of the organization, but its results as well. I do not know all the details of the Enron or MCI WorldCom scandals, but I do know that the fallout hurt the companies and their employees. These examples are extreme cases of character failures, but many smaller ones happen in business and organizational life every day.

As usual, I have a story to relate to illustrate my point. One time I hired a man to work in a department I managed. During the hiring process, I realized that a woman in the department, working in the same capacity, was significantly underpaid compared to both industry standards and the starting salary of the man we were hiring. I immediately went to my supervisor and attempted to negotiate a resolution plan. In response to my request to adjust her salary he asked, "Does she know that he will be making more than her?" This perspective floored me. It seems that her knowledge of the situation, rather than a determination of whether it was right or wrong, was the deciding factor on whether it should be addressed or not. At that moment, I remembered a statement I had heard long before: "Character is what you do when no one is watching."

Unfortunately, I was unable to persuade my supervisor to take action in this case. This response severely damaged my trust and respect for both the person and the organization. I eventually left the organization for other reasons, but in retrospect, I probably should have left sooner. When it comes to character, leaders simply cannot compromise.

You can staff your organization to compensate for skill and knowledge deficiencies. You must stand alone on character. Do not let short-term thinking entice you into small, subtle concessions on matters of character. Be a leader of high morals and impeccable integrity in everything you do.

So, I encourage you to remember this simple tip . . .

It is far better to have character than to be one.

You may use this article for electronic distribution if you will include all contact information with live links back to the author. Notification of use is not required, but I would appreciate it. Please contact the author prior to use in printed media.

Copyright 2005, Guy Harris

Guy Harris is a Recovering Engineer. He works as Relationship Repairman and People-Process Integrator. His background includes service as a US Navy Submarine Officer, functional management with major multi-national corporations, and senior management in an international chemical business. As the owner of Principle Driven Consulting, he helps entrepreneurs, business managers, and other organizational leaders improve team performance by applying the principles of human behavior.

Guy co-authored "The Behavior Bucks System(tm)" to help parents reduce stress and conflict with their children by effectively applying behavioral principles in the home. Learn more about this book at http://www.behaviorbucks.com

Learn more about Guy at http://www.principledriven.com

In The News:


pen paper and inkwell


cat break through


Real Charisma, Clinton Style

What exactly is Charisma? Most would agree that it is... Read More

Managing Monsters in Meetings - Part 3, Drifting From the Topic

Although new ideas lead to creative solutions, they can be... Read More

The Seven Mistakes to Avoid when Organising Your Student Leadership Program

How do you measure the success of a training or... Read More

Leadership Training: The Bit They Didn?t Tell You About Changing!

A willingness to change first is one of the major... Read More

7 AAA Ways To Succeed!

[Abounding Abundant Ample Ways To Boost Your Growth!] This may... Read More

3 Elements of Leadership Power!

In an article discussing the need for innovative products and... Read More

A Lasting Leadership Lesson: How One Leadership Talk By George Washington Saved The Revolution

A Lasting Leadership Lesson: How One Leadership Talk By George... Read More

Reinventing Failure: Designing Success

I am fascinated by problems. I like to think of... Read More

Who Is Randy Gage and Why Is He One of My Mentors and Heroes?

Who is Randy Gage? I first read about him in... Read More

Leadership Styles and What We Need For the Future:

By definition a leaders leads a team to take action... Read More

Coaching a Leader

One of my favorite memories growing up as a child... Read More

Secrets of Creating Success with Ease

Do you ever strum your fingers on the desk top... Read More

Mentor? Who Needs A Mentor?

Who needs a mentor. . .everyone who is truly serious... Read More

Chris Top 7 Favorite Leadership Books

1. The West Point Way of Leadership.GREAT book by a... Read More

Leadership For Deep Results: Without Them Are You Wasting Your Leadership And Your Life? (Part Two)

How does one go about getting deep results? There are... Read More

Sometimes Leaders Need to Get the Boot

Today I stood up to a guy right in front... Read More

Building Future Leaders

As a whole we spend a lot of time filling... Read More

The Seven Secrets to New Age Leadership

Did you ever notice that In our American culture, we... Read More

The Leadership Strategy: An Unmined Comstock Lode of Results

During the Second World War, Winston Churchill had a framed... Read More

Ten Characteristics of Leadership

Many people are interested in the characteristics of a great... Read More

The Top 10 Questions for Socially Responsible Leaders

The assets of your business traditionally include property, plant, equipment,... Read More

Are You The Most Powerful Leader You Can Be?

As someone who teaches, manages, parents or influences you'll probably... Read More

Managing Monsters in Meetings - Part 1, General Strategies for Unproductive Behavior

It happens easily. You're conducting a meeting and suddenly a... Read More

Your Ultimate Leadership Feedback Loop: Their Leadership

Life on our planet flourishes through feedback. If life forms... Read More

Awaken the Leader in You: 10 Easy Steps To Develop Your Leadership Skills

"The miracle power that elevates the few is to be... Read More

Be the Samurai Sword

Relationships are constantly facing crisis. Everywhere we look people are... Read More

Wanted: A Dictionary-Perfect Leader

Answers are often before our very eyes or in front... Read More

Get Angry And Then Get Results

Leadership is not about winning a popularity contest, it's about... Read More

In Leadership, Good Enough Is Pretty Bad

The first time I meet a leader to decide if... Read More

The Leadership Talk As A Living Hologram

The hologram is a three-dimensional photograph made on a flat... Read More

Managing Monsters in Meetings - Part 7, Personal Attacks

Personal attacks hurt people, mar communication, and end creativity. If... Read More

Leadership and Power - Being the Boss Doesnt Guarantee Either of Them

Some people mistakenly associate supervisory positions, or seats of power,... Read More

Heres The REAL Reason Bush Won: The Dark Night Of The Leadership Soul

George Bush won the election because he was finally able... Read More