Crisis certainly doesn''t make character, but it certainly does reveal it. What must every person know about character? Character is more than talk Anyone can say that he has integrity, but action is the indicator of character. Talent is a gift, but character is a choice We choose our character; in fact we create it every time we make choices (to cop out r dig out of a hard situation to bend the truth or stand under the weight of it, to take the easy money or pay the price).
Character brings lasting success with people True leadership always involves other people. Followers do not trust leaders whose character they know to be flawed, and they will not continue following them Leaders cannot rise above the limitations of their character Steven Berglas Says that people who achieve great heights but lack bedrock character to sustain them through the stress are headed for disaster (Arrogance, Aloneness, Destructive Adventure-seeking, or Adultery) each a terrible price to pay for a weak character. If you think you''re leading and no one is following you, then you''re only taking a walk" Reflecting on it If youVe found yourself being sucked in by one of the four A''s, call a time-out G. Alan Bernard states, "The respect that leadership must have requires that one''s ethics be without question. A leader not always stays above the line between right and wrong, he stays well clear of the ''gray areas''. " Bringing it Home To improve your character do the following: Search for the cracks Spend some time looking at the major areas of your life (work, marriage, family, service, etc. , and identify anywhere that you might have cut corners, compromised, or let people down. Look for patterns Is there a particular area where you have a weakness or do you have a type of problem that keeps surfacing? Face the music The beginning of character repair comes when you face your flaws, apologize, and deal with the consequences of your actions. Rebuild It''s one thing to face up to your past actions. It''s another to build a new future. Now that youVe identified any area of weakness, create a plan that will prevent you from aking the same mistake again.
Daily Take-Away A man took his young daughter to a carnival, and she immediately ran over to a booth and asked for cotton candy. As the attendant handed her a huge ball of it, the father asked, "Sweetheart, are you sure you can eat all of that? " "Don''t worry, Dad," she answered, "I''m a lot bigger on the inside than on the outside. " That''s what real character is - Being Bigger on the Inside... Chapter 5: Competence: If you build it, they will come "Competence goes beyond words. It''s the leader''s ability to say it, plan it, and do it in uch a way that others know that you know how and know that they want to follow you. -John C. Maxwell- "The society which scorns excellence in plumbing because plumbing is a humble activity and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because it is an exalted activity will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy. Neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water. -John Gardner- Benjamin Franklin One of 17 children Was the son of a candle-maker Co-author of the Declaration of Independence Franklins mind was curious, and he continually sought ways to improve himself and others.
Fleshing it Out Show up everyday Responsible people show up when they are expected to show up, physically and mentally. Keep improving Highly competent people search for ways to keep learning, growing, and improving. The person who knows how will always have a Job, the person that knows why will always be the boss. Follow through with excellence Performing at a high level of excellence is always a choice, an act of the will. As leaders, we expect our people to follow through when we hand them the ball. They expect that and a whole lot more from us as their leaders. Accomplish more that expected
Highly competent people always go the extra mile Inspire others Highly competent people do more than perform at a high level They inspire and motivate their people to do the same Where do you stand when it comes to getting the Job done? Do you attack everything you do with fervor and perform at the highest level possible? Or is good enough sometimes good enough for you? When you think about people who are competent, you''re really considering only three types of people: Those who can see what needs to happen. Those who can make it happen. Those who can make things happen when it really counts.
Bringing it Home To improve your competence, do the following: Get your head in the game. Redefine the standard. Find three ways to improve. I read an editorial in Texas Business not long ago that said, "we are truly the lost generation, huffing and puffing down the fast track to nowhere, always looking to the dollar sign for direction. That''s the only standard we recognize. We have no built-in beliefs, no ethical boundaries. " You''re only as good as your private standards. When was the last time you gave a task your absolute best even though nobody but you would know about it?
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