Leadership Briefs

The Leader's Core

Positive Character is essential in every leadership transaction. Two dimensions of character are descriptive of the entire topic: Integrity is what people see in you. Respect is what you give to others. Character describes the habits of how consistently you choose to live out organizational values as an example to your team.

THE CHARACTER OF A LEADER

INSIDE. Integrity is the reliability of your attitudes, words, and behaviors when everyone is looking, and when no one is looking. Attitude is the mindset you bring to situations regarding circumstances and people. Words are the verbal expressions of those attitudes spoken publicly or privately. Behaviors are the active expressions of your attitudes and words. Integrity is what others see in you when they sense your attitude, hear your words, and observe your behavior. The trust of followers is tied to the integrity of the leader.

» Qualities of a person with integrity: honest, principled, virtuous, reliable, consistent, and moral.

» Qualities of a person who lacks integrity: deceitful, corrupt, dishonest, and prone to duplicity.

OuTsIDE. Respect is not what someone earns from you. It is the gift you give to another person regardless of how different they may be in values, background, and ways of responding to life’s challenges and opportunities. The respect that leaders give to followers is connected to loyalty, engagement, and alignment.

» Qualities of those who show respect: esteem, appreciation, admiration, recognition, and consideration.

» Qualities of those who lack respect: disregard, contempt, disdain, scorn, and neglect.