“Character, in the long run, is the decisive factor in the life of an individual and of nations alike.” – Theodore Roosevelt.

Leadership comes from inside of us. Successful leaders are self-aware, present and focused. They are in touch with what drives them, why it drives them and the impact they want to create. True authentic leaders have character and values that are aligned with their outward behavior, embodying the very essence of true leadership.

The more self-awareness a leader possesses, the easier it becomes for him to lead and manage others. Only after you have mastered yourself, will you be able to successfully lead and manage others.

 

 

The leader’s inner core represents this notion. Character and values are two of the four building blocks of the leader’s inner core (the other two being self-concept and beliefs) that help us understand how a leader moves through and responds to the world.

When it comes to leadership, the difference between character and values can sometimes be difficult to understand. However, grasping this difference will better equip you to lead, as it enhances your understanding of yourself and the people you manage.

 

Difference between character and values – overview

According to the Intelligent Leadership (IL) model, values represent the outward manifestation of character. Our values are perceived by others through our actions. Through our actions, others detect our character. To me, character is foundation of your moral and ethical principles that guides your life and how you behave.

In my book ‘Intelligent Leadership’, I’ve drawn up an analogy that I think superbly depicts the interconnectedness of values and character.

I stated that the two are like an iceberg. The larger chunk, invisible beneath the water, represents your character. The smaller tip, protruding from among the waves, represents your values.

What does this mean for a leader? How can those in leadership positions harness the power of character and values?

• Through the shaping of your character, you can achieve leadership maturity.
• Values and character define your personality and leadership style.
• By understanding your character and values, you also understand why you act and behave as you do.
• Understanding your character helps you break down the complex web of emotional states that influences your decisions.

 

Is character a value?

We can imagine character as a reflection of your moral strength. It consists of 6 parts. While reading, think about how you would rate yourself on these 6 elements:

1. Courage:
   • How willing are you to act out of conviction? To sacrifice yourself for others or for what is right?
   • Are you prepared to take action and make sacrifices for a greater purpose? Do you have room to grow in your daily acts of courage?
2. Loyalty:
   • Are you committed to others even when it’s difficult? How loyal are you—to both your superiors and your subordinates?
   • How steadfast is your commitment, particularly in challenging situations? Could you perhaps strengthen your loyalty even further?
3. Diligence:
   • Are you ensuring you’ve done everything possible to succeed and avoid cutting corners?
   • How diligent is your approach to leadership and life? Do you make sure tasks are completed correctly?
   • Do you prepare for potential challenges in advance? Do you remain steady in the face of setbacks? If so, you score high in diligence.
4. Modesty:
   • Can you keep your ambitions in check and live within limits? Do you find it difficult to remain modest despite your successes?
   • It’s easy to succumb to grandiosity and arrogance, but wise leaders know that failure could be just around the corner and remain grounded. How would you rate your modesty?
5. Honesty:
   • Are you willing to miss out on deals that require deception to win?
   • Do pressures tempt you to sacrifice the truth for profit? Consider how you would score in honesty.
6. Gratitude:
   • Experiencing the lows helps us appreciate successes even more. Are you able to view setbacks as learning experiences while remaining appreciative? How grateful do you feel?

 

Do you have any room to grow your character? 

We all do. Nobody is perfect. What matters is that we remain aware of our shortcomings and strive to become a better person and a better leader. 

Allowing ourselves to be vulnerable is crucial for long-term leadership success. This is why vulnerability is also one of the seven main points of Intelligent leadership, a game-changing coaching approach for executives and leaders.

 

Core Values

If character is completely hidden from the outside, values are the lens through which we see the world. Values are based on our character, and they drive how we act.

Our values influence every decision we make. If we choose to listen to a coworker having a bad day it’s because connection and affiliation are one of our core values. If we choose to brush them off because we have work to do and can’t afford to take the time, perhaps money and power are the values guiding most of our decisions. 

There are hundreds of possible values to choose from but here we will use the approach of Drs. Joyce and Robert Hogan identified ten main value groups:

1. Aesthetics: Art, literature, culture, imagination
2. Affiliation: Social interactions
3. Altruism: Desire to serve others, to improve everything
4. Commercial: Earning money, realizing profits
5. Hedonism: Desire for fun, excitement, variety
6. Power: Desire for achievement, competition, getting ahead
7. Recognition: Desire to be known, visible, self-display, famous
8. Science: Analytical, new ideas, technology
9. Security: Structure, predictability, prudence
10. Tradition: Appropriate social behavior, morality, high standards

 

Values and character interplay

There exists a strong, reciprocal interplay between character and values. Character is shaped by one’s core values, and in turn, the strength of one’s character influences how consistently and authentically these values are expressed in behavior.

If there are gaps in your moral and ethical character, this can often distort how your values manifest in your life.

For example, if you have a character flaw, such as being hot-tempered or overly self-obsessed, try to identify which values you perceive as most important. Is power or recognition your most significant value, with your temper trying to fulfill an unconscious need?

If you struggle to build lasting relationships, it may be because you prioritize commercial values. There is nothing wrong with that if you are satisfied with your current approach. 

However, if you wish to change and grow, you need to explore your unconscious values and reprioritize them. Without this exploration and adjustment, you will not be able to become a better leader.

Your actions in the real world give everybody around you an opportunity to see into your values and your character. Through actions, you are communicating your values with every interaction you have as a leader and a person. 

“If you want to get a sense of who someone is (their character) and what they value, all you need to do is take a look at their actions” – John Mattone – Intelligent Leadership

 

 

Leadership Style Influence: Values vs Character

Now that we have a basic understanding of character, values, and their relationship, we can delve deeper into how this knowledge can be applied in leadership. How can leaders effectively harness the connection between character and values?

• Through the shaping of your character, you can achieve leadership maturity.
• Values and character define your personality and leadership style.
• By understanding your character and values, you also understand why you act and behave as you do.
• Understanding your character helps you break down the complex web of emotional states that influences your decisions.

 

Leadership Maturity through good character values

Leadership maturity is a stage where a leader has made the essential character and inner core changes needed to become outstanding.

Such a leader has confronted the unpleasant truths about themselves and implemented the necessary changes to unlock their leadership potential.

Unfortunately, many young leaders lack a comprehensive understanding of their own character, values, beliefs, strengths, and weaknesses. However, with a clear understanding of yourself and your potential, you can make better decisions, lead change, build teams, communicate effectively, and resolve conflicts, driving success for your employees, teams, organization, and yourself.

 

Immediate vs Ultimate values

A tool you can use to better understand how to improve yourself as a leader is The Map of Leadership Maturity™. The map can be your key to leadership success in this fast-changing world.

The first step in achieving leadership maturity is to recognize the existence of two types of values.

• Immediate values, like financial gains, are easier to pinpoint, but they are also more superficial.
• Ultimate values, like the desire for freedom, security, and independence, define your ultimate desires, which will likely guide your actions throughout your life.

 

Ultimate values define your mission in life. 

Your ultimate values serve as the compass for your life’s mission. When setting a goal that you believe aligns with your ultimate value but are unsure about, ask yourself, “Is this all there is?” If you find yourself needing to ask this question and the answer isn’t a clear “yes,” you’re likely dealing with an immediate value that won’t bring lasting success and happiness. Ensure that your goals are in harmony with both your inner and outer core.

Besides understanding the differences between immediate and ultimate values, a mature leader also:

• Knows whether his/her values align with his/her character elements.
• Has a thorough understanding of his/her hierarchy of values.
• Knows that ultimate values that align with his/her character elements are the most important. He/she then sets goals based on such values.

 

 

Character and Values Define Leadership Style

Knowing and understanding your character helps you position yourself on the Leadership Maturity Map I have defined in ‘Intelligent Leadership’. According to this map, you fall into one of nine leadership style subcategories:

1. Perfectionist
2. Helper
3. Entertainer
4. Artist
5. Thinker
6. Disciple
7. Activist
8. Driver
9. Arbitrator

These nine leadership style subcategories are grouped into three overarching categories, each defined by its relationship with the dominant trait of that category. One subcategory overdevelops the trait, another underdevelops it, and the third is disconnected from it

1. Heart leaders: In this group, you have helpers with overdeveloped feeling characteristics, entertainers who are out of touch with the feeling characteristics, and artists with underdeveloped feeling characteristics.
2. Head leaders: In the head leaders group, you have activists with overdeveloped thinking characteristics, disciples who are out of touch with the thinking characteristics, and thinkers with underdeveloped thinking characteristics.
3. Gut leaders: Gut leaders consist of drivers who have overdeveloped their gut characteristics, Arbitrators who are out of touch with their gut characteristics, and Perfectionists who have underdeveloped their gut characteristics.

Each of these categories also comprises three sub-categories, based on maturity level:

• Mature
• Average
• Derailing

Once you know which of these categories you belong to, you can focus on setting your goals, leveraging your strengths, and correcting your weaknesses. Your objective may be to achieve maturity within your own leadership style category, but you can also change your style. In my book, I detail the typical strengths and weaknesses of every one of the leadership style sub-categories. My map provides clear paths of logical improvement for leaders of various predominant styles.

A mature perfectionist should aim to assimilate the traits of a mature activist. His/her growth should not stop there. He/she should then attempt to assume the traits and behaviors of a mature thinker.

I also outline pitfalls and evolutionary paths leaders focused on continuous improvement should avoid.

Once you understand the character-linked minutiae of your own decision-making, you gain the ability to optimize your decisions and overall leadership style.

 

The role of intrinsic motivation in character development

What motivates a leader is a question of personal values and a person’s character.

Leaders with a strong inner core can rely on intrinsic motivation. They are doing the activity or behavior because they find it rewarding on its own. They are not doing it for the outside rewards or avoiding punishment. 

Leaders often create material success through their hard work, which is an outward expression of their willingness to “look under the hood” and understanding of what makes them tick. They develop valuable outer-core skills such as critical thinking, decision-making, and communication skills on the foundation of strong character and values.

How effective you will be as a leader depends on the quality of your thoughts. Critical thinking is an example of a skill you can develop further only if you take charge of your thinking process. “Nature and nurture” brought you this far. 

Your character and values were influenced by your upbringing, societal norms, religious beliefs and other factors. But today, no matter the past, you have a duty, a responsibility to grow into the best leader you can be.

 

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