In a recent leadership discussion, a young officer asked what she could do to develop leadership skills even though she didn’t yet hold a leader position. The answer struck to me right away, and I have been thinking about it since. Leadership begins and ends with character. It is something that we can work on throughout our lives. The Romans used the Latin word “virtus” to refer to character. The term was used of men and women, and meant to act with courage, with fortitude, and to act like a man (“vir:” Latin for man). Virtus or character is something that you can focus on whether you’re four, fourteen or forty. It is the foundation of all successful leadership because it is the fountain from which integrity flows, and integrity is the most often cited trait of successful leaders.
It is worth emphasizing that character is a lifelong pursuit. We never need be stuck with “Well, that’s just the way I am.” Some traits are harder to change than others and require increasing levels of support and insight from peers, from mentors or perhaps even from behavioral health professionals. But we can change.
Character is developed in many ways throughout our lives. It starts with watching and imitating parents and other role models throughout childhood. I have mentioned before that leadership skills are a matter of “reading, writing and rhetoric.” There are a number of ways that the leader interested in developing character can grow by reading, writing and reflection…
- Get your bearings. Figure out what matters to you, what is important and live like you have figured it out. If you are not at the point where you can articulate a personal vision and mission statement, this is a great time. Set aside an hour or two on a quiet morning or evening and write down where you want to go (vision) and how you think that you will get there (mission.) Include in your thought process principles and values that you think should characterize your actions and attitudes along he journey. Then share your thoughts with someone you trust.
- Read the basics. There is certainly no shortage of books on character and leadership. But there are four authors that I tend to recommend to everyone who is interested in looking at character and personal development, particularly as it pertains to leadership. Stephen Covey, the author of Seven Habits of Highly Effective People ( 1989 Simon and Schuster – a book every adult should read at one point or another in their lives) also wrote Principle-Centered Leadership, (1992. Simon and Schuster.) It is a study of the application of personal principles in leadership. Daniel Goleman has written extensively on understanding self and others (Emotional Intelligence 1997 Bataam Books.) He has also written a classic on the role of emotional intelligence in leadership (Primal Leadership 2002 Harvard Business School Press.) John Maxwell, has written extensively on leadership and has highlighted the crucial character traits of a leader in his book The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader (1999 Thomas Nelson.) And finally the father of servant leadership is Robert Green, whose classic book on the same subject provides a foundation of servant hood as a part of personal character and leadership philosophy (Servant Leadership 1977 Paulist Press.)
- Read and watch biography. Reading about great people inspires us. I know that not everyone enjoys this genre of literature, but it really helps to see what makes great leaders tick. From the life of General George Marshall we learn humility and discipline. From John Adams we learn public service. From Benjamin Disraeli, the British Prime Minister we learn to overcome odds, a lesson also learned from reading about James Stockdale and John McCain. Lyndon Johnson teaches us about politics as does Theodore Roosevelt. Lincoln teaches us how to build a team, and Ernest Shackleton how to hold one together. As we watch the good (and less than good) leaders around us we add their biographies to our life study too, taking the good from what we see and resolving to leave the bad.
- Read the Bible: “get-meta.” I say “Bible” here first because it allows for me to create a “B” alliteration alongside of “basics and biography!” It is also the book that I read as an part of my Faith tradition. People come from a range of different backgrounds. The key is to “get-meta.” Every day read something that makes you think about the “metaphysical” aspects of life. There is a body of literature that links leader effectiveness to a leader’s knowledge of his or her “metanarrative” or overarching story Set aside fifteen minutes or so and discipline yourself to read things that tie to your personal “metanarrative;” the beliefs and assumptions which serve as your all-encompassing story including the truths of your faith, your creed, or your philosophy.
- Get up on the balcony. Regularly take the time to stop and review significant events and ask yourself what happened, why it happened and what you should learn from it. A clue here is to focus on any event that evoked significant emotion in yourself or in someone you interacted with. You are even better off if you can share the balcony view with another, a trusted colleague or mentor who can provide additional sensitive perspective. So I think about having a “deck chair” on the balcony where you go often to reflect on what you have experienced. Even better, have two chairs on the balcony with the second reserved for someone who is as invested in your growth and development as you are.
Edgar F. Puryear Jr. spent forty years studying American generals from the last century (Nineteen Stars, American Generalship.) In his many interviews with these truly great leaders, character always stood out as the first, most notable and most significant aspect of their leadership. General Eisenhower told Puryear, “Character in many ways, is everything in leadership.”
Virtus: the place where leadership begins.
Chuck Callahan Henry V 4.3 – Lead from the Front https://henryv43.wordpress.com/
Henry V 4.3 