A Leader’s Character is Determined by their Actions

I remember first reading the quote: “adversity builds character”. I thought this was a valuable insight. However, I later came across a revised version of this quote which stated: “Adversity doesn’t just build character, Adversity reveals character”. The distinction really caught my attention. I believe that there is a great truth here. The essence of a leader’s character is not the situations they have been through – it is how they act when challenged by current situations.

As individuals we all demonstrate leadership effectiveness in how we act. The question is: how do leaders nurture positive character attributes to prepare for moments when our character will be tested? The answer lies in the actions we take and the commitments we keep each and every day. As we continually act with good character, it becomes a habit. When the moment of truth comes to test our mettle, our good habits will reveal our good character.

There are many “virtuous” attributes that can be developed into good character habits. Examples include:

• The ability to listen, confront, empathize and coach effectively is essential to building relationships and influencing others
• The ability to persevere and stay focused on important issues provides leaders with greater success
• The ability to realign a plan of action to adjust for unforeseen circumstances that seem inevitable in carrying out a plan.

These attributes and others can be measured to provide individuals and groups with an understanding of their current level of competence in character-based skills. This self-awareness will then enable leaders to leverage their strengths and build on the attributes that require further development. Aristotle was quoted as saying: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.” The key to building leadership character is to know which habits to focus on.

The next few blogs will focus on different attributes that can be developed into good habits and therefore good character.

I welcome your feedback. Please leave a link back to your own blog too if you have one, via the commentluv feature here on the site.

Dave

David Town, CHRP, is a facilitator and coach of leadership and management principles that enable individuals and organizations to build greater leadership competency, resulting in higher performance and higher employee engagement. David has a particular focus on effectively managing conversations involving confrontation or conflict. As well, he provides insights and assessment strategies for integrating character competencies into leadership skills resulting in increased trust and reduced risk for leaders. David is President of Your Leadership Matters Inc.