Values

WHAT IS CHARACTER?

Character is the set of deeply embedded values that drive the way a person lives and chooses how to act. In leadership, values must be the drive behind the actions of a leader of Character. A leader of Character must act ethically at all times and lead from a mindset of values and ethics.

A leader will never compromise their core values for convenience or gain of any kind, as they understand that compromising core values is a loss that can never be repaid by any kind of gain.

WHAT ARE CORE VALUES?

Core values are the values we hold which form the foundation on which we conduct ourselves and relate to others. We have an entire universe of values, but some of them are so primary, so important, that throughout changes in society, government, politics, and technology, they are still the core values we will abide by. In an ever-changing world, core values are constant.

CHARACTER IN LEADERSHIP

All leaders will find themselves in situations where what they want for themselves or their organization will conflict with their core values. Leaders of Character make these difficult decisions based on their ethical and moral beliefs and values. When a leader is unsure of what to do, he or she must always turn to his or her Character: their values, ethics, and moral beliefs, and make a decision that aligns with their Character.

Character is about discerning the right thing to do when value conflicts arise.

SERVANT LEADERSHIP

A leader of Character will feel empathy, compassion, and concern for others. They will lead from a servant mindset, seeking to understand and assist the people around them.

“Great people have great values and great ethics.”

—JEFFREY GITOMER