Most of us believe that character is important. You expect quality character from anyone you associate with: friends, coworkers, children, political leaders.
Character is so important that you will end a relationship if you don’t trust someone’s character.
If you’re interviewing for a new position and encounter a candidate who is supremely talented, you won’t hire that person if you believe his character is lacking.
Everybody is responsible to be a “person of character.” As a leader, though, you have a more difficult responsibility: to grow beyond the foundation of basic expectations and strengthen a second type of character.
Moral Character
Moral character is about doing what is right, even when it is difficult.
Character development begins with moral character. You, as a leader, especially require this type of character because your decisions affect so many. You develop moral character by identifying the principles you are unwilling to bend on. You stick to those principles even when it is difficult.
Moral character is the first type of character that you must have if you are going to lead others. But moral character alone is not enough to lead others well.
Years ago, we worked with a client we’ll call Sam. Beloved in his community, Sam was known for his kindness and generosity. With a noble reputation, he was held in high esteem as a good man, widely trusted and respected.
That is, trusted and respected by everyone who did not work for him. Even though Sam was a man of strong moral character, he had never acknowledged the weaknesses of his leadership character. Sam had set a leadership foundation by solidifying his moral character, but he neglected to grow beyond the basics.
Leadership Character
Leadership character is a set of values and beliefs that shape the way you lead others.
Though people outside his office could not sing Sam’s praises highly enough, those who reported to him crooned a different tune. His employees voiced frustration over his inability to handle problem coworkers. Driven by a need to be perceived as “nice,” Sam let issues slide that he should have confronted.
He also had a habit of swooping in and tackling tasks on his own so that others wouldn’t perceive the was incapable. He didn’t ask for others’ insights with decisions and wouldn’t admit if he made a bad one. Sam’s lack of leadership character created an unhealthy work environment. His employees had lost trust in him and each other. We worked with Sam to develop his leadership character, beginning with helping him understand its three attributes:
Attribute 1: Leadership character consists of five best practices.
To develop this type of character, concentrate on five connected practices:
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Humbling Yourself
Acknowledge your own fallibility. Admit to yourself and others that you aren’t right all the time, that you don’t always know when you’re wrong, and that you need other people.
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Spotlighting Others
Leadership is not about you, nor is it about the perks and privileges that come with position. Instead, it’s about making other people’s lives better. Help others feel honored, valued, and dignified. Treat them with warmth, acceptance and positive energy.
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Taking Responsibility
Recognize what you can control and influence. Take “extreme ownership” for the things that you can control — your attitude, actions, habits, words, etc. Take responsibility for outcomes that you can influence, even if you didn’t directly cause them. Don’t waste energy worrying or complaining about the things you can’t control.
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Handling the Hard Things
Leadership is filled with hard decisions, conversations, and actions. The path of leadership rarely involves the easy route. You must overcome fear and handle the hard things.
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Expecting Character from Others
Leadership character demands that you don’t merely model good character to others, but you expect good character from them. When you hold others accountable for their character, you demonstrate your character.
Attribute 2: Leadership character can be developed.
Some people argue that “leaders are born, not made.” That argument fails to recognize that effective leadership starts with Character (both moral and leadership), and Character can be developed.
Helen Keller said: “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved.”
We have worked with many leaders like Sam over the years who did not naturally “humble themselves” or “handle the hard things.” But they developed those practices over time as they pushed themselves to develop their Character.
Attribute 3: Although character is the foundation of leadership, there’s more to build.
We’ve established that moral character doesn’t automatically make you a great leader. Leadership character is the same. If you were building a new home, it must have a great foundation, but that foundation by itself doesn’t create a great home. It takes more than Character to make you a great leader.
Additional traits should be constructed over a lifetime: Competence, Capacity, Clarity, Community, Culture, and Consistency.
Combined with Character, those 7 traits give you at least 95% of the skills and abilities you need to lead others toward a better future.
