Character Matters: Leaders That Make a Lasting Difference
Dr. David Rafeedie
The twentieth century saw some bigger than life historical figures. Some, like Mahatma Gandhi https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mahatma-Gandhi or Martin Luther King, fought for justice and changed nations in peaceful and significant ways. Here is a great place to dig into Dr. Martin Luther King https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu. I highly recommend a visit to the Martin Luther King museum in Atlanta, Georgia too. Fascinating and informative.
Others brought about change in violent and evil ways.
Here are some characteristics of two men; two leaders who moved their nations to fight for what they believed was the greater good.
Both had resolve.
Both had a command presence. When they spoke, people listened.
Both had a vision of their preferred future and moved their nation toward that vision.
Both were strategic in their thinking.
Both had large egos but could be very personable.
Both were charismatic.
Who were they? One was Adolf Hitler, and the other was Winston Churchill.
What made the difference? Was the difference their national origin? All English people have strong moral character, and all Germans are evil? Obviously, neither of those things is true. The food maybe? Schnitzel verses kidney pie? Probably not. Upbringing? No, by all accounts both had respectable upbringings. So what was the difference?
Churchill’s legacy of a free and democratic nation continues, and Hitler’s vision ended in death, misery, and destruction. I would argue the difference was a strong moral character. Strong character is not about what we do; it is about who we are. Who we are determines what we do and how we do it. Who we are will shape our priorities and values and determine our choices in life. The dictionary defines character this way, “The mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual.”
Leadership is everything to the success of an organization and character will determine what kind of leader you are. Your character also heavily impacts the nature of the organization you lead. A strong character will impact the people on your team for good and have a positive impact on the success of your organization.
Here are a few important characteristics of successful, long-lasting, positive leadership.
Strong character has integrity
Integrity includes honor and is values-driven. Leaders with integrity can be trusted because they are honest, they have credibility. And this characteristic is admired by people all over the world. In their book, Credibility: How Leaders Gain and Lose It—Why People Demand It, Kouzes and Posner say, “In virtually every survey, honesty is selected more often than any other leadership characteristic. No matter where the studies have been conducted—regardless of country, geographical region, or type of organization—the most important leadership attribute since we began our research in 1980 has always been honesty.” (James M. Kouzes, 2011) [1]
Strong character takes responsibility
Taking responsibility for one’s thoughts, feelings, and actions, is a sign of maturity. Intellectual and emotional maturity. The oft-mentioned quote from the plaque on Harry Truman’s desk is an expression of this truth, “The buck stops here.”
Taking responsibility for what one thinks and does is the honorable thing to do. In many nations overseas, leaders who take responsibility and express honor will often resign when they have failed in their responsibility to their nation. I am speaking of the leaders that resign without being forced out.
I am going to pick on an easy group of people in leadership positions who do not take responsibility well. Please note that I am speaking generally as I know there are exceptions. The easy group I am picking on is the American government. Both the Executive and Legislative bodies. My friends in other countries, you may have some things to say about your governments, I don’t know, but since I am an American, I will pick on our leadership.
In the last year or so I have heard some of our leaders in Washington lament what our national culture has become in recent years. I have heard words like “mean,” “nasty,” “crude,” and “shallow,” and lamenting the general lack of civility. (I am sure you can think of other words.).
But I have not heard any of our leaders take any responsibility for what they say our culture has become. Not one has said, “Our mean, nasty, and crude culture reflects our governing culture.” We have been nasty and crude. We have called groups “Nazis.” We have called each other liars. We have shifted our morality based on the political realities of the time. We are shallow, speaking in political clichés and slogans that pass for intellectual rigor. We initiated this sad state, and we continue to reinforce it.
No, I have never heard of any of our leaders take any responsibility for any of the negative aspects of our current society and culture.
Of course, I can say positive things about our government too, and I am sure I will have ample opportunity in future articles. The principle above is true for any organization, profit or non-profit. The leaders of any organization are the initiators and maintainers of their organization's culture. Character matters.
Strong character thinks critically
Strong character is not a slave to its emotions. A person with a strong character has the ability to view information, events, and circumstances objectively enough to differentiate themselves from what they are observing and think clearly. They do not fall into groupthink and can think about solutions.
I like this definition of critical thinking: the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgment.
Leaders who think critically are problem solvers. They can tell right from wrong. They distinguish between the good and the best. Leaders who think critically can creatively lead their teams and organizations through the technology-driven, rapidly changing culture in which we live.
Strong Character has courage
Strong moral character dares to make the necessary decisions to move their teams to the Performing level of team development. They make the right decision and then develop an effective change management strategy. They take calculated risks. Doing the right thing is important to a leader with strong character.
Courage is intrinsic to a person with strong character. The movie the Wizard of Oz has a lot of good leadership lessons in it. One of my favorite characters is the lion. The “king of the beasts” thought of himself as a coward and so he behaved like one. He was hoping the Wizard would somehow bestow courage upon him. But as the story progressed he learned that he already had courage. It was a part of his nature. He behaved courageously instinctively.
Strong character is a courageous one. It makes the necessary hard decisions for the good of their team and their organization.
Strong character is principled
Strong character is ethical by nature. People who are ethical know the difference between right and wrong and chose to do what is right. They are moral people whose morality rest on a solid foundation, not the shifting sands of current expediency. As a Christian man of faith, my morals; my ethics; the way I lead and live are founded on God’s character as revealed in his Son and the Bible. I live them out as best I can, imperfectly to be sure. On what or whom are your operating principles anchored?
Morals and virtue can be lived out and taught. They make a difference in how people respond to your leadership, and they determine how people view you and your leadership.
Check out this short but good article by syndicated columnist, Cal Thomas, regarding virtue. Regardless of your faith, if any, or your politics, it is a worthwhile read.
www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/11/30/cal-thomas-return-virtue.html.
Strong character influences people for good
People respect leaders who have strong character, and they follow them. Leaders with strong character have a lasting positive impact on their teams, their organizations, and most importantly, on their families. Their leadership is stable and consistent, and they can be trusted.
This leader with strong moral character garners the respect of fans and non-fans alike.
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James M. Kouzes, B. Z. (2011). Credibility: How Leaders Gain and Lose It--Why People Demand It. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, A Wiley Imprint.