Character and Business Success

In a previous post, I wrote that qualities of character in the CEO were a more important indicator of business success than the business model. Two questions popped up following that statement:

1. Why do you say that?
2. Which qualities of character are most important to business success?

??????????? In this post, I’m going to respond to the first question.? I’ll use the second question to shape a series of posts.

First, a disclaimer.

This is one person’s point of view.? This is not the result of some study that surveyed 10,000 business owners.? Instead, it is the result of my personal, anecdotal experience.? I’ve spoken to and with thousands of business executives, in the US and ten other countries, and personally and contractually worked with over 400 of them.? I have, I believe, achieved a breath of experience in the world of business that, coupled with a touch of wisdom, has a validity of its own.

With that disclaimer behind us, let’s tackle the subject.

Definition:

First, for those of you who may never have thought this way, let’s create a common definition of ‘character’ and ‘qualities of character’ as they relate to the world of business.

The Oxford Dictionary defines ‘character’ as: “the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual.”? Simply put, it’s the way that we generally act. So, we can be known as industrious for example, or lazy. These two words: ‘industrious,” and “lazy” describe certain traits or qualities of our character.? We can be counted on to act in harmony with those qualities.? If we are known as industrious or lazy, it’s because we have acted that way, repeatedly.? Now, those who know us expect us to act that way. Character ultimately expresses itself through our actions.

Our character, then, is the combination of all the qualities, or traits, that we have developed over time.? The individual traits are what we call ‘qualities of character’, while the composite of all those individual traits is what we call our character.

Notice a couple of things here.

First, our qualities of character are both reflections on what we have done in the past as well as predictors of our future behavior.? In other words, qualities of character are habits.? The reason people think we are lazy is because we have acted that way in the past, and now those around can predict that we will act that way in the future.? Laziness is a habit.? Typically, it is a habit which has so ingrained itself into our routines that we don’t even think about it.? We just act that way mindlessly..

Second, since our qualities of character... CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE