A Great Leader’s View of Character

Presidents’ Day morning. My “In Box” contains a quote from a Great Leader, President Abraham Lincoln, about a person’s character and reputation. Lincoln wrote, “A man’s character is like a tree, and his reputation like its shadow; the shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing”.

Reputations are funny things. In some instances, they are based entirely on facts. In other cases, they are based on perceptions held by individuals or groups of individuals. By way of comparison, let’s look at two fictional individuals that we will call Clay and Stone.

Clay has a reputation for being a real savvy businessman. He always seems to be in the right place at the right time; a guy who can turn a profit no matter what he does and no matter how adverse the situation may appear to be. It’s as if he has an “inside track” on information that no one else has … because he does. Clay has built his business and his reputation by using inside information to the detriment of those he exploits to his own personal benefit. If Clay were in the securities industry, he would be guilty of insider trading … of using information that is not available to the general public for personal profit … a criminal act. Clay has a reputation for being in the right place at the right time. But, his character is lacking a strong moral compass. In Clay’s mind, what he is doing is wrong only if he gets caught. If history teaches us anything, it teaches us that the sun moves; the shadow shifts; and, ultimately, the deeds done within the shadows of unethical behavior will be exposed and the wrong-doer will be caught.

Stone, on the other hand, has character. As a Great Leader, Stone is “the real deal”. When presented with opportunities, he first checks his personal moral compass and asks, “Is it legal; is it ethical; does it treat others as I would wish to be treated?” If the answer to any of these questions is “no”, he abstains and allows the opportunity to pass him by. Great Leaders such as Stone know that if they conduct themselves and their businesses in a manner that never calls into question their character or their morality, the world will beat a path to their doors for the opportunity to associate with them, to work with them, to do business with them. They will be presented with more opportunities than they will be able to handle; opportunities to grow personally, professionally, and financially.

Reputations are mere shadows of the person they purport to be; always shifting, intangible, subject to the shifting tides of opportunism and “what’s in it for me?”. Character, when it is grounded with a strong moral compass, is unyielding in the face of temptation. When the character of a Great Leader is consistently asking the three questions above, constantly and routinely reminding itself to do what is right both morally and ethically, it is then that this character stays away from temptation and keeps itself morally straight. Great Leaders present their character in their daily conduct and allow it to speak more loudly than any reputation can.

Tom Hoisington is a speaker, trainer, and author whose goal is to provide leaders and potential leaders with tools that empower them to build teams that are creative and cost effective along with a clearer understanding of how personality types interact within those teams. He can be contacted at tom.hoisington@eagleoneresources.com

How Does a Leader Differ From a Boss?

I love serving as a member of an Eagle Scout Board of Review. The view of true leadership, stated by a young man who has spent up to seven years studying and demonstrating leadership skills, is both insightful and awe inspiring. A question that I like to ask the candidates is simply, “What is the difference between a leader and a boss?” While no two candidates have ever given the same answer, here is brief summary of some of the answers I’ve heard.

  • Bosses – Bosses sit back and tell others what to do. They seldom do the jobs themselves. In fact, it’s very possible that they’ve never done the job they’re telling others to do. Bosses pass judgment … a lot. They seldom tell someone what they’ve done well; but, they can always tell that person everything that’s been done wrong. Bosses find fault and have a unique ability to crush a person’s desire to improve or create something.
  • Leaders – Leaders, on the other hand, tend to be very hands-on. They’re not afraid to dig right in and help get the job done. They don’t ask others to do things that they are not willing to do themselves. Leaders look for opportunities to provide genuine and deserved praise. Genuine praise is specific about what was well done (i.e., “you did a great job of identifying that client’s need and showing them how it could be met by our product) rather than an insincere and vacuous “nice job” or “you did good”.  When something has not been done well, leaders will typically help the team member review the job or situation, asking “what do you feel you did well? what do you think you could do differently/better next time?” They help team members discover solutions for themselves by asking guided questions and commending the team member when he/she comes up with the solution.

Great Leaders may be in charge of a project but they are not bosses. They do all of the things that leaders do above … and then some. They find ways to go the extra mile to help the team reach and surpass a goal or objective.

Click “Comment” below and share your experience with a Great Leader who led rather than bossed.

Tom Hoisington is a speaker, trainer, and author whose goal is to provide leaders and potential leaders with tools that empower them to build teams that are creative and cost effective along with a clearer understanding of how personality types interact within those teams. He can be contacted at tom.hoisington@eagleoneresources.com