Building Character

Building character is one of the most important areas of growth in personal and professional development, if not the most important. Skills, passions, and dreams/visions are major components of the work that people do. However, character demonstrates what people are really made of, and reflects one’s integrity and maturity. In this context, Merriam-Webster defines character as “moral excellence and firmness”. To me, this is what truly sets people apart as great. 

Maybe there are people who you might not have known very well but admired aspects of their lives and work. Then once you got the chance to get to know them better you became disappointed that they weren’t who you thought they were. The missing component was likely character. In my own experiences, what has been most disheartening to see with people who I respect for the work that they do is their attitude about or lack of responsibility and ownership when things don’t go how they want them to or think they should. There could be misunderstandings about expectations, some or all of which were miscommunicated or not communicated at all to begin with. Or there could be misjudgments about a situation, and unwillingness to be open to learning what may not be obvious. How people work through dialogue involving these and other situations involving responsibility and ownership is telling. Do people acknowledge their part to play when things go wrong? Do they point the finger and place blame? Are they able to identify what went well or other positives? Are they willing to gain understanding about what they do not know?

Personally, I’ve been most appreciative of opportunities to speak with people who are great at what they do and can acknowledge their own faults. My respect for and trust in them only increases. I have also found the times that I’ve had to own my mistakes, even in matters that were outside of my control, to be extremely humbling and strengthening.

Attitudes about struggles in general are also important in demonstrating character. It can certainly be hard to maintain a positive attitude when things are not going well. While one may feel upset, being able to remain calm, open to solutions, and hopeful, is significant. Overall, it’s helpful to discern purpose and direction in the midst of challenges - if something needs to be changed or rethought entirely, and how one can grow in an area. 

Consider how you respond in challenging or difficult times. How can you build character when faced with adversity? What is your attitude about responsibility and ownership? How do you remain positive or open to change? 

I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to share a comment or reach out if you’d like to connect, have questions, or are interested in partnering.

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