Building Character
Strengthening the Heart of Good Leadership
Chapter One
Character and Leadership
Who was the best leader you ever worked for?
Why?
Who was the worst?
Again, why?
Take a moment to answer.
As you thought about the first two questions, you probably
thought of some good leader you have known and mentally assigned
words and concepts like competent, trustworthy, positive, dependable,
cared about people, or kept us informed. The memory of a
bad leader probably summoned a list of opposites: incompetent (or
only marginally capable), pessimistic, didn't care about anyone else,
wouldn't share information.
For both leaders, you probably remember specific behaviors that
you thought were good or bad, and the behaviors probably followed
a pattern. Over time, for better or worse, most leaders exhibit consistent
patterns of leadership behavior. The pattern shapes their
reputation (how they are known and perceived by others), is considered
a reflection of their character, and largely dete ... read full excerpt from Building Character: Strengthening the Heart of Good Leadership ebook
