Character has long been the subject of serious thought. Marcus Aurelius identified it as the sum of your thoughts, feelings, and actions over time. It is who you are and the only thing you truly own. At its most basic, character is the essence of what is “us.” It both defines and is defined by what we do. But it is also something greater than the sum of our actions. Contemplating character is not new, but it’s helpful to understand what other thoughtful people have concluded. Aristotle connected character with virtue, celebrating those who could maximize their virtues — which he defined as courage, justice, prudence, and temperance — while limiting their vices. Confucius extolled wisdom, benevolence, and courage, and identified the principle of ren: a combination of compassion, empathy, and humanity. Our journey to character is not a simple one. We should mine the wisdom and experience of others, but ultimately defining character and charting our journey is up to us. We must examine ideas and develop convictions that become a mirror of our soul and a lens through which we view life — then use them to create the person we’d like to be, and attempt to be that. Put even more simply, it’s a choice and a discipline. #OnCharacter https://lnkd.in/ew2WVHcq
It is time to quit this prattle about the importance of character in leadership because metrics show that character is out of style. The majority of voters declared that the market value of character in leaders is less than the cost of a dozen eggs or gallon of gasoline. Government officials have been intimidated because they are not willing to take a cut in income in order to work for a leader of better character. Empathy is a now sign of unmasculine weakness. Tribal loyalty overcomes seeking truth or objecting to unaccountable authority. The wealthy receive automatic deference and advantage. “From many, one” has been replaced by “I got mine.”?
A must read for sure. Looking forward to it and getting one for my son.
The grift continues, character lectures from a guy that got fired for talking smack about the CINC while simultaneously loosing a war. Best to stick to the corporate “leadership” lecture grift
Glad to see a leader of such strong character tackling this timely issue…
Great for your Soldier’s 2025 reading list!
Amen, Stan. The fundamental building block of all endeavors that seek to contribute to relationships, the role of leadership, and organizations. Strength and Honor
So true Mr McChrystal. Organizations that are failing lack this: “a leader's most crucial quality is strong personal character, achieved through self-discipline and introspection, as a leader's primary duty is to cultivate their own virtue and morality, which then serves as a positive example for those they lead; essentially, "leading by example" through a strong ethical foundation is key to effective leadership.”
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1 周Character is both our foundation and our compass—shaped by choices, tested by adversity, and reinforced by discipline. It's like a Samurai sword, tempered in the flames and molded by a thousand hammer blows. Marcus Aurelius saw it as our only true possession, Aristotle tied it to virtue, and Confucius linked it to wisdom and humanity. But knowing is not enough—it’s the daily decisions we make that define us. IMO - Character isn’t just who we are; it’s who we are becoming.