Leading with Character

By Caroline Fox

I’m going to start this posting with a personal story. I live in a very small farming/tourist town. We are an hour away from the closest mall, and were just recently blessed with a Target (sadly, a regular store, not a super center). My little town is also very special in that it is fully integrated with an organization known as Character Counts!, an organization that stresses character education and development in schools, at home, and in the workplace. Its curriculum is based on the 6 Pillars of Character, which include caring, respect, responsibility, trustworthiness, fairness, and citizenship. By partnering with the local school system and local businesses and with much direction from the area coordinator, Character Counts! has worked its way into most aspects of life. Posters adorn the hallways and every classroom of each public school, businesses send “coaches” into schools to teach children about character development’s “pillars of character,” and the local park has a beautiful hexagonal pavilion adorned with each pillar’s trait.

What a beautiful combination. Character education, so absent from many school systems since the separation of church and state ruling in McCollum v. Board of Education Dist. 71, seamlessly integrated into the everyday life of both children and adults. A character coach myself, I’ve seen the effects that character education has on children—and it works. "There have been significant studies that are showing these young people cheat less, lie less, and behave better in school,” says Josephson Institute founder Michael Josephson.

But what about in the business place? Ethical dilemmas are an inherent part of many workplaces. Some companies navigate these waters successfully, while others—i.e. the “Enrons” of the world—stumble. Day to day activities may present some ethical dilemmas greater than others, but the overarching question is the same: To be ethical, or not to be ethical?

Its hard for children and young adults to grasp the importance of ethics when they are bombarded by TV shows, music, movies, and news stories about those who lie, cheat, steal, or otherwise break the law to get ahead. Deliciously addicting shows and movies like Mad Men, Entourage, Oceans 11, 12, & 13 (or however many they have filmed by now), Gossip Girl, and ABC’s newest tween-directed drama titled “Dirty Little Liars” are hardly models of good behavior. The consumers of these shows grow up to be top executives, CEOs, and entrepreneurs. Without the proper guidance, they can be easily led astray without any real perspective on consequences of their actions.

By educating your workplace on the importance of ethics and continual personal development, you benefit not only your employees, but also the entire organization. Creating leaders in ethics will allow your business to sail through troubled waters that may snag the sails of other organizations. Promoting fairness, respect, responsibility for ones actions, caring for others in times of need, honesty, and trustworthiness are just as important as promoting innovation and creativity in the workplace. So take a stand and be a leader in promoting character in your organization. Create signups for staff volunteer work: it promotes teamwork and helps people in need! Fly an American or state flag at your office: you’d be surprised at how uniting a single sheet of fabric can be. Leave some books about character development on coffee tables, in common rooms, and in the lobby; bored employees will eat them up. And finally, lead by example. It is only through being an exemplary leader will you rally your employees behind you. And once you have implemented character in your own workplace, volunteer in schools to coach children on their own character behaviors. To them, you’ll be the coolest adult in the world—and a leader they will remember when tough choices need to be made.

Sources:
http://www.asaecenter.org/PublicationsResources/articledetail.cfm?ItemNumber=13303

http://josephsoninstitute.org/business/