Character Development – Rx For Excellence

December 30, 2012

Gary J. Borgstede Coaching Corner , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

Excellence

Excellence

What is character? The best definition that I’ve heard for character is: the person you are when no one is looking.  When leaders have character, they are big people on the inside and as a result people follow them on the outside. John Maxwell says that everything rises and falls on leadership and I believe that statement to be true. Plus, I also believe that a person’s leadership actually rises and falls on the foundation of their individual character and integrity. In fact, the courage of one’s convictions (character) plus the peace of one’s conscience (integrity) equals the foundation of one’s leadership (influence). Any cracks in a leader’s character and / or integrity will put the leader’s influence in serious jeopardy if those cracks are not effectively addressed and resolved. 

Character Development Matters Desperately In Our Personal Lives

We only have to look as far as the headline news to see the devastating effects of failed character in life and leadership. From corporate boardrooms to family washrooms, character matters desperately. In fact, John Maxwell offers the following about character from his book, The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader:

1) Character is more than talk

2) Character is a choice

3) Character brings lasting success with people

4) Leaders cannot rise above the limitations of their character

Furthermore, author of The Enemies of Excellence, Coach Greg Salciccioli, teaches leaders what he has learned and observed over his life-time in coaching: talent most often exceeds the character necessary to support it. I believe this observation is primarily true because talent is a gift; whereas, character is developed. Unfortunately, if a person does not learn how to develop the character necessary to sustain their talent, it is only a matter of time before the enemies of excellence in their life take over and completely sabotage their success in life. The Bible states in 1 Peter 5:8, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”

Developing Character Produces Personal Excellence

To safeguard our personal lives from the strategies of the devil to destroy us, we must develop character that produces personal excellence in the following 3 practical ways:

  1. Write a Personal Life Plan that includes a personal vision of the preferred future in the areas of Spiritual Growth, Relationships, Fitness, Finances, and Future.
  2. Develop daily routines to replace the energy expired each day spiritually, emotionally, physically, and mentally.
  3. Create a group of wise trusted advisors to give wise guidance and counsel in life.

Character Development Matters Desperately In Our Professional Lives

While character is critically important to a person’s success in their personal life, it is also critically important to success in their professional life. The influence of an organization rises and falls on the influence of its leaders and the influence of leaders rises and falls on the character of leaders. Therefore, to develop an organization with great influence, an organization must develop great leaders with great character.

Because God has kingdom purpose for organizations in the marketplace, the devil is keenly aware that he can sabotage God’s kingdom purpose in the marketplace by destroying the leaders in the marketplace. Therefore, we must understand very clearly, the stakes are high for kingdom leaders in the marketplace. In Matthew 11:12, the Bible states, “From the time of John the Baptizer until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful people have been seizing it.”

Developing Character Produces Professional Excellence

To safeguard the advancement of God’s kingdom in the marketplace from the strategies of the devil to hinder God’s kingdom purposes in the marketplace and destroy marketplace leaders, we must develop character that produces professional excellence in the following 4 practical ways:

  1. Write a Professional Business Plan that includes the God-ordained Vision, Purpose, and Values of the kingdom of God within the organization.
  2. Develop a clearly written Strategic Plan that identifies the compelling ambitions and objectives of the organization.
  3. Identify personal and specific leadership commitments for everyone in the organization that support the Strategic Plan of the organization.
  4. Implement a leadership coaching process that effectively develops people and unleashes the extraordinary God-given potential of everyone in the organization to make a real difference in life.

Thank you and have a blessed ”Make It Happen” day!

Character Development – Rx For Excellence Copyright 2012, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint Character Development – Rx For Excellence, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

Related articles

Writing A Personal Life Plan

November 9, 2012

Gary J. Borgstede Coaching Corner , , , , 2 Comments

When I think about life and the many different directions we can all take in a lifetime, I wonder how people would answer this rhetorical question: “If you planned to sail across the Atlantic Ocean from America to Africa, how comfortable would you be boarding a ship without any rudder?” Unfortunately, I don’t think most people realize that they actually do this every day without any second thought by boarding the ship of their personal life without any plan. In fact, a Ford Foundation Research Study has found the following to be true about people and their life goals:

  • Only 10% of the population has specific well-defined goals
  • Only 3% of the population achieved their goals 89% of the time

With those statistics as a modern-day reality, we can easily find ourselves as one of the 90% of people sailing through life on a ship without a rudder; however, there is some great news for us! You and I can easily find our life rudder by writing a personal life plan to help us intentionally live life with passion and purpose.  I personally believe that living life on purpose is a choice and a privilege, so let me encourage you to make the simple choice today to begin the process of living life on purpose by writing a personal life plan.

Life On Purpose Means Living Forward!

To help you easily do this, Michael Hyatt and Daniel Harkavy have written a tremendous life plan book titled, Living Forward, to be published in the Spring of 2016. To learn more about their book, please visit Michael Hyatt’s leadership blog at www.michaelhyatt.com/life-plan. In their life plan book, you will learn step-by-step how to write your own personal life plan and live life on purpose.

Life Is Short So Make It Count!

In Psalms 39:4-5, the psalmist writes, “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered—how fleeting my life is. You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath.” For anyone who has any adult children, you can easily understand and appreciate the sentiments of the psalmist. It seems that it only takes the blink of an eye for children to grow into adults and the older you become, the quicker life seems to speed ahead to the finish line. Unfortunately, we are only given one opportunity to make our life count so why not start now and make a commitment to finish strong by intentionally living each day with passion and purpose.

A Good Life Plan Will Help Make Your Life Count!

In Psalms 90:12 the psalmist cries out to God, “So teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” With that approach to life, I believe the best way you and I can make our lives count is to write a life plan that numbers our days with a heart of wisdom. So don’t waste another minute and get started today with these three easy steps!

Three Easy Steps To Get Started Writing Your Life Plan:

1)      Visit Michael Hyatt’s leadership blog and register to receive updates regarding his new life plan book titled, Living Forward.

2)      Send an e-mail to Gary Borgstede at gborgstede@makeithappenbooks.com and request FREE resources to help you start writing your personal Life Plan.

3)      Schedule personal time to start writing your personal Life Plan with the help of resources provided.

Have a blessed ”Make It Happen” day!

Writing A Personal Life Plan Copyright 2012, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint Writing A Personal Life Plan, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

The Make It Happen Moment ® Plan For Results

June 27, 2011

Gary J. Borgstede The Make It Happen Moment ® , , , , , , Leave a comment

Alice In Wonderland

Where you want to get to?

Quote: “Information is the difference between your present and your future!” – Dr. Mike Murdock

So where are you and your team headed this year?  It’s a good question you must answer if you are going to get there.  Consider the following excerpt from Alice in Wonderland:

“Would you tell me please which way I ought to walk from here,” said Alice.

“Well that depends a great deal on where you want to get to,” said Cheshire Cat.

“I don’t much care where,” said Alice.

“Then it doesn’t matter which way you walk,” said Cheshire Cat.

As leaders guiding our teams, we must know what we are trying to achieve or accomplish before we ask the question of how to accomplish it.  Once we have answered the question of what, the answer of how can be determined.  Otherwise, the advice of Cheshire Cat rings true; it doesn’t really matter what you do to get where you are going because any direction will get you there.   After you have spent appropriate time strategically planning your goals for each year, you will be well equipped to complete the tactical plans for achieving each goal, fully understanding that the purpose of nuts and bolts planning is simply to produce the results you desire.  Time spent planning today is not time wasted, it is time invested in your future.  To get closer to the future waiting for you, follow the command found in Habakkuk 2:2, “Write the vision and make it plain upon tablets, that he may run who reads it.”  Without the vision written down, it will be extremely difficult for you or your team to see it accomplished. 

Again, I ask the question, what do you want to accomplish this year?  More specifically, what has God put in your heart to accomplish this year?  In prayerful meditation, ask God to reveal His plans for you in each area of life.  Jeremiah 29:11 states, “For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  With a spirit of commitment and excellence, diligently invest time planning for the future God has in mind for you and boldly pursue the plan believing in Him to deliver the results!

The Make It Happen Professionalism Value: “Make It Happen” People Are Professionals!

Have a blessed “Make It Happen” day!

Edited by The Make It Happen Moment ® Editorial Team

The Make It Happen Moment ® Plan For Results Copyright 2005, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint The Make It Happen Moment ® Plan For Results, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

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