Some of my most read posts read are building trust and developing character as a leader. Now seems like a good time to post some rambling thoughts on character and leadership. Who knows, maybe some of them may be topics for a future series.
No one is born with a sparkling character. It is something you develop over your lifetime. Because a person can always make choices, they can always change their character. I know a number of people who created problems in their community when they were young. As a police officer at the time, we had plenty of encounters. Some of these young people began to understand, if they continued to behave in certain ways, they were going to have a confining lifestyle. Several started behaving differently, in conformity with the criminal laws of the State. Some now even own businesses and have other people working for them. If you did not know them a couple of decades ago, you would be surprised by some of the stories I could tell you about them. These people have become well respected community members.
Some of their peers failed to alter their courses. I still read their names in the POLICE REPORT section of the newspaper from time-to-time. They continue to make bad choices, that sometimes cross the line defining a crime. They struggle to make ends meet, keep a job, and stay in a stable relationship. As a result, they are always at risk of losing food, housing, and other basic life necessities. They cannot borrow money because they cannot be trusted by even close friends to repay loans. They struggle to keep a job because they choose to extend fun into a time that prevents them from performing well at work or showing up on time. However, even these people can choose to behave differently and develop a reputation for having a different character.
What does that mean to the new young leader reading these words? It means that you will make mistakes. Those mistake will cause a temporary lose of trust. What matters is what you do next. You can choose to learn and move forward by selecting behaviors that regain trust and developing character, or you can choose something else. People will more readily forgive errors of competence. They are less likely to forgive errors of character. Most people expect others to make decisions that do not always work out with the best information at hand. Those same people expect others to make the best decision possible, but not to engage in deliberate trustworthy behavior.
As you grow and learn as a person and a leader, you will find that many of the moral dilemmas you used to face melt away. What used to be hard decisions become simple because the right answer becomes more obvious with each choice that ends with positive results. Even mistakes can have positive results.
Something I look for when hiring people is their ability to work independently. I neither want nor will look over someone’s shoulder who is capable. I know I have to train that person, but once they understand the job, they are on their own. That does not mean I stop supporting them. It does mean I am not going to make all the decisions. I would not need that person if I wanted to decide everything.
Know that character is not something you have. It is something you develop. You, repeated choices tell others about your inner beliefs. Based on your choices, others perceive you as trustworthy, competent, and caring, or not. You can choose at anytime to change to behavior to gain more trust, improve your competence, and care more. When you consistently demonstrate trustworthy, competent, caring behavior, others will notice the change in your character. It will not be long before few can remember the old you, but it does take time. Stay the course. Do the right things. People will notice and remember.
So why this reflection on character lately. Lots of things really; many related to politics and some of the lack of character of some of the candidates. However, I often remember I am far from a perfect person. For example, some of you have been reading long enough to remember when I made a promise to post two blogs a month. Other more recent readers may remember a promise I made amending that first promise to once a month. If you look back at my body of work, you see for the most part I have published near the end of every month for eight or so years. This year life has been crazy and I have been off my publishing cycle. Working to return to a once per month routine helps me recenter my focus, and re-establish my trust with readers. I do ask you all to remember that an important leadership task is to prioritize work. In the last year, my writing has been a lower priority than other things happening in life. People are willing to forgive those times when such disturbances occur, but if one never returns to those important habits others rely on, one looses those followers. Thanks for continuing to read my writing.
