Bringing Your A-game takes More than Skills and Knowledge. It Takes Character

When I was involved in creating the Navy’s Warrior Toughness Program, it was critical that we helped to create young sailors and officers that could be people of both competence and character.??We needed our warfighters to learn, master, and perform the required technical skills at the highest level.??They also needed the mental skills to perform job these in the clutch.

Underpinning all of this though, has to be a strong foundation of character.??The strength of character to make good moral and ethical decisions in and out of uniform.??The strength of character that guides commitment to the behaviors and actions in order to persevere and thrive in the face of adversity and challenge.?Being a person of strong character does not mean that we will not make mistakes or fall short-we will. A person of character knows who they are and what they stand for. They put the necessary strategies and guardrails in place while filling gaps where they need to in order to be the people they aspire to be.

If you want to be your best self in the most important professional and personal settings, assess your strength and connections to the following;

-?Values?

If unclear on what values are most important to you, look to the people that you admire most. What do you admire about them???How and where do you invest your time and resources? These two areas will likely indicate what your key values are. Which ones should you lean into and which ones should you change or strengthen?

-?Principles

Principles are our values in action. If trustworthiness is an important value to you, it must be reflected in your actions and behaviors. My trustworthiness value would be expressed in these principles; I will be transparent, honest, and will follow through on my commitments. If I fail to meet these standards, I will work to make amends and rectify the shortfall. I will hold others to the same standards and will question my affiliation with people and organizations that do not share these values and principles.

-?Purpose

A good leader knows that they must help instill purpose in those that they lead as well as their peers. That said, a high-performing professional will not rely on others to provide that sense of purpose. You will seek out the meaningful connection to the work you do and roles that you play. If you are tightly connected to the value that you bring to your work and the people involved, you will likely have a strong sense of purpose. When faced with undesirable circumstances, you will find a way to show up and contribute, even when it’s very difficult.??You will conduct yourself with professionalism. If after careful consideration, you think it’s time to make a change in direction, you will do so then. The best book I've read on purpose is John Ramstead's book, On Purpose with Purpose: Discovering How to Live Your Best Life.

-?Attributes

Attributes are the qualities one has, good or bad. Positive attributes are also known as strengths. When it comes bringing you’re A-game to important and critical moments, attributes such as; adaptability, discipline, decisiveness, and resilience are some good ones to start with. You may be fairly strong in these or need further development.??Reflect back on past performances to see where you excelled or fell short.??In areas that need improvement, prioritize supporting skills and get reps and sets in. Acknowledge and celebrate when you have demonstrated increased capacity in areas you are looking to improve. If you find that you need higher levels of adaptability for stressful situations, for example, then it requires building mental skills and thoughtful inoculation from or exposure to?the things that you find distressing.??Rehearsal, role-playing, performance psychology, and mindfulness training help for specific situations. When these are applied across a variety of situations, adaptability will be increased. For a great read and a deeper dive on attributes, check out Rich Diviney's great book, The Attributes: 25 Hidden Drivers for Optimal Performance

-?Personal Philosophy?

In order for us to best stay on track or get back in alignment with our values, beliefs, and principles, we need a clear mission statement or written philosophy that we know, live, and breath. When we are clear on what our personal philosophy is, it serves as our compass and we can bounce our actions and behaviors off of that statement to better hold ourselves accountable. Take the time to write this out-it will serve you well.

If you see gaps here, commit to making the change.