CHARACTER REFLECTIONS

In a recent article written by Gayle D. Beebe, who is the president of Westmont College, there were some really great insights regarding the essential qualities that reflect our character.  For the next several blogs I would like to amplify those.

The first is a leader who leads from a foundation of integrity.  Essentially this means being true to our word and avoiding any kind of false appearances.  Because a leader's life is always on display, people can be intrusive and critical.  We can either embrace that fact or resent it.  If we embrace it, we live a life above board and above reproach.  If we resent it we can resort to our privacy and perhaps send the wrong messages.

The second characteristic of somebody who has great character is relational competency.  Often times we get jobs and have responsibility because of our technical competence.  Our technical abilities can take us so far, but if we can't foster emotionally mature relationships that are meaningful we can find ourselves isolated and misunderstood.  The higher we go in any organization the more we have to work through people.  That is why people skills are so essential.

The third characteristic of somebody with great character is the ability to absorb and undo the evil of others.  Attacks and criticism are inevitable in any organization.  It is critical for a leader to be able to sift through what is true and what isn't.   A person with great character should be emotionally mature enough to discern the real issues at stake and try to remove the personal side of things.

Until next time.  How do you stack up against these first 3?