The daily reports of another leader’s ethical lapse have eroded
our confidence in the integrity of our leaders.
However, the concern about morality is not limited to leaders. Our
youth are not learning values. One-third of teenagers believe that you have to
bend the rules to succeed.
This trend, and the public outcry, has not been lost on business
leaders. More of them are developing codes of conduct, outside reviews of corporate
actions, and employee training on ethics.
Leaders who fail to govern themselves will be governed by the government.
Witness the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the recent Congressional subpoenas
of several leaders.
While being a person or enterprise of character has many benefits,
it is no guarantee of material achievement. Character is no substitute for talent,
good fortune, or a solid business idea.
Charting Your Vision
You can develop your character by taking three steps:
- Establish your vision
of the person you want to be.
- Tap into the core virtues
in order to identify your strengths; for example, in which ways is it natural
for you to manifest wisdom and humanity?
- Put your strengths into action
as the principles of behavior that guide you through your intentions, personal
conduct, and consequences.
Virtues and principles affect intentions
toward others; namely, how you want them to feel, think, and act as a result of
your conduct. Intentions and conduct determine the consequences
of words and actions and, ultimately, character. Awareness is the indispensable
tool for staying on track to developing the capacity for character.
Remember the need for self-forgiveness and perseverance, as personal
growth is a journey. Mistakes are made, lapses happen, and temptations tempt as
we are not always aware or on top of our game. Imperfection is part of growth.
The journey to living and expressing the best of the self starts
with defining what “best of self” means, what the core virtues have
to do with it, and how “best” will be lived. What it takes to develop
character was aptly described by Florence Griffith-Joyner: concentration,
discipline, and a dream. PE
