Character. It’s the foundation, the base, and the bedrock for great leadership and for living a reputable and enjoyable life.
But, how do you build, restore, improve, and maintain great character? Just as important, how do you inspire great character in those around you? Let’s dive into it!
What Is Character?
Character is the sum of your moral and ethical qualities. It’s the consistent demonstration of your values through your actions, even when faced with adversity or temptation. Integrity, honesty, courage, empathy, compassion, and resilience are common pillars of strong character. Having character is about being true to yourself and your principles, regardless of external pressures.
Why Is Character So Important?
Character is vital for two reasons. First, because it fosters trust, the cornerstone of all meaningful relationships and effective leadership. When people trust you, they are more likely to follow your lead, collaborate effectively, and support your vision. Without character, trust crumbles. Second, character is the basis for peace of mind and heart. People of character can sleep well at night, knowing their actions align with their values.
Cultivating Personal Character
Cultivating personal character is a lifelong journey of self-awareness and continuous improvement. Here are some best practices:
- Identify your core values. And, honestly assess how well your actions align with your values.
- List — write out — these values as part of your “personal vision,” and you can review them when you pre-week plan to always keep them forefront of mind.
- Commit to making ethical decisions, especially when difficult. Ask yourself, “How would I feel if my decisions/actions were the front page of tomorrow’s newspaper?”
- Seek constructive feedback from trusted individuals.
- Learn from your mistakes. We all make mistakes. When you do, learn from them so you don’t repeat them, and move forward a better person.
- Embrace challenges as opportunities for growth and cultivate habits of discipline and resilience (your challenges build your character). Remember, character is not about perfection; it’s about progress!
Inspiring Character In Others
First and foremost, character is contagious — by prioritizing your own character development, you empower those around you to do the same, creating a ripple effect of positive influence. Here are some best practices for inspiring character in others:
- Lead by Example. Model the behaviors you wish to see, first and foremost.
- Define Values. Articulate, share, post, and teach your organizational values and encourage and provide opportunities for people to explore their individual values and align their decisions, actions, and life with those values
- Establish Accountability. Create systems where actions are recognized (or corrected) when they do or don’t align with your organizational values
- Recognize and Celebrate Integrity. Publicly appreciate ethical behavior.
- Foster Open Communication. Create a culture of transparency and honesty.
- Provide Learning Opportunities. Support growth through training. Consider “Do What Matters Most” to guide people through their vision, values, goals, and pre-week planning, where they weekly align their life with what matters most.
So ....
Choose to be true to character. Start with yourself. Know your values and align your decisions and actions with your values. Include them with your vision and goals and review them weekly as you pre-week plan. Encourage others to do the same, knowing they will follow your example. Develop organizational values and systems of accountability around those values. Create communication and learning opportunities that reinforce those values. They’ll then become part of your culture. That’s becoming your best!
“Knowledge will give you power, but character respect.” — Bruce Lee
Want to see other articles and posts by Becoming Your Best? Go here.
Want to learn more about our training solutions?
Leadership Development: The 12 Principles of Highly Successful Leaders
Do What Matters Most: The #1 Time-Management and Productivity Solution
The Six-Step Process: Six-Steps to Solve Your Biggest Challenges
Free Resources