The longer I lead and the more I see, the more I’m convinced that character ultimately determines a leader’s true success. And that character is what makes a leader worth following.
Moral failure takes out more leaders than it should. But real success is deeper than just avoiding the ditch.
So where does the deepest level of leadership success come from? Ultimately it doesn’t come from a leader’s skill set; it comes from a leader’s character.
Your character determines your true capacity.
Why is that?
Character—far more than skill set—determines how deeply and passionately people follow you. A leader with character is a leader worth following.
A leader who lacks integrity may have followers, but he’ll never gain their full trust or their whole hearts.
After all, we all know highly skilled leaders who are never truly embraced; they’re merely tolerated.
Character, more than anything else, draws the hearts of people to your leadership.
The greatest leaders are highly skilled people whom other people love to be around. They’re people others admire, not just because they’re smart, but because they’re the kind of person others want to become.
Lifetime success ultimately doesn't come from a leader's skill set; it comes from a leader's character. Click To TweetSo how do you know whether your character passes the test?
The greatest leaders I know navigate the following five things exceptionally well.
1. Handling Success Better Than They Handle Failure
Often people will ask you how you handled your last failure. And that’s not an entirely bad question.
Knowing how to handle failure well is essential to success in leadership.
But do you know what is harder?
How you handle success.
You would think success wouldn’t be harder, but it is, and I’ve seen far more leaders blow success than I have leaders blow failure.
Failure is, by nature, humiliating. It crushes pride.
Success does the opposite. It naturally inflates a leader’s pride. It’s intoxicating.
It takes both great self-awareness and great self-control to handle success, and not to let the reports of your own brilliance or accomplishments go to your head.
The very best leaders remain humble, grounded, and even self-deprecating. They don’t claim every perk of office and regularly help people who can’t help them back.
They avoid the gravitational pull of self-focus and, instead, stay focused on the mission before them and before everyone.
The ultimate test of a leader’s character is not failure; it’s success.
The ultimate test of a leader's character is not failure, it's success. Click To Tweet2. A Willingness To Be Misunderstood
At some point, every leader will be misunderstood.
People will say things about you behind your back (or to your face) that aren’t true. People will judge your motives and get them wrong.
Sometimes you’ll only be allowed to say certain things in public, not because you’re being secretive, but because revealing all the information would make others look bad or break confidence. So instead, you look bad.
That’s just the territory of leadership.
Leadership is a bit like parenting. You have to do the right thing even if it’s not the popular thing. I’ve been there many times as a leader (and as a parent).
Great leaders have forged enough character to overcome the incessant desire to be liked. (Here are 3 hard but powerful truths about likability and leadership).
They are prepared to be misunderstood for a season, knowing that usually, the truth comes out in the end.
And even if the truth doesn’t emerge in a particular instance, great leaders know that the overall track record of their leadership and character will speak for itself over time.
Leadership is like parenting. You have to do the right thing even if it's not the popular thing. Click To Tweet3. They Have The Same High Standards at Home As at Work
Success is intoxicating. And leadership is rewarding.
People generally do what you ask them to do. Results can be measured. And progress is steady. Sometimes it’s even exponential.
If only it were that easy at home.
Many leaders who succeed at work end up being failures at home, and that’s not success.
Many leaders who succeed at work end up being failures at home, and that's not success. Click To TweetYour spouse isn’t impressed with your stats. Your kids don’t care about your awards.
They just need you.
They simply want you.
Too many leaders give their best at work and leave the leftovers for home. The best ones never do.
They pour the same energy and passion into their home life that they pour into their work life.
Too many leaders give their best at work and leave the leftovers for home. The best ones never do. Click To Tweet4. Their Private Reality Matches Their Public Persona
500+ interviews into my leadership podcast (you can subscribe for free here), one of the top questions I get is, “So what is ___________[insert the name of the well-known leader here] really like?”
The surprisingly good news is that most of the time, they’re actually wonderful, kind, humble, fully present, and gracious, not to mention insightful.
I love it when someone’s private reality matches or exceeds their public persona.
That’s my hope for me personally, too, and what it really boils down to is character.
Character is who you are when the spotlight’s not on you.
The best leaders are the same on stage or in the boardroom as they are in a private meeting.
They’re the same when they’re with one person as they are when they’re with a thousand.
And the truly great ones are the same when absolutely no one is around.
As John Wooden famously said, “The true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching.”
The true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching. - John Wooden Click To Tweet5. A Willingness to Help People Who Can’t Help You Back
If you’re not careful, the more successful you become, the more likely you will be to spend time only with those who can help you get to the next stage of whatever you’re trying to do.
You almost naturally become a social climber.
The greatest leaders will resist this pull. It’s not that they won’t spend time with other people who are as successful or more successful than they are. It’s that they will still spend time with people who aren’t.
The greatest leaders regularly find time to help people who can’t help them back.
And not just as a charity project…but because it’s just who they are.
They’re not so impressed by themselves that they can’t spend time with people who might not be impressed with them.
They’re not so caught up in what’s next that they can’t spend meaningful time with someone who isn’t on the same journey.
Sure…they’re still strategic with their time, but they have a deep sense of grounding that reminds them that life is indeed about others, not just about them.
The greatest leaders regularly help those who can't return the favor. Click To Tweet
