Commentary: Character key component to foundation of leadership Published Oct. 27, 2014 By Col. Scott McLaughlin 446th Airlift Wing commander MCCHORD FIELD, Wash. -- "I would place character as the absolutely number one requirement in leadership. By character, I mean primarily integrity. A man whose superiors and, even more important, whose subordinates can depend upon that leader taking action based on honesty and judgment. If he does not base his action on honor, he is worthless as a leader. ~ General J. Lawton Collins" When it comes to leadership, competencies determine what a person can do. Commitment determines what they want to do, and character determines what they will do. Character is the foundation for effective decision-making. Mistakes are made because of a leader's shortcomings in his or her competencies. Often, the root cause is a failing of character. Not willing to listen to those who can do well because of the perception that it would undermine your leadership is a problem rooted in character. Challenging decisions being made by others but which you feel are wrong requires character. Dealing with discriminatory behaviors in the work place requires character. Creating a culture of empowerment in your organization so that others may challenge your decisions without fear of reprisal requires character. Character is not something that you have or don't have. All of us have character, but the key is the depth of development of each facet of character that allows us to effectively lead. Character is not a light switch that can be turned on and off. There are degrees of character and every situation we encounter presents a different experience and opportunity to learn and deepen it. No one is perfect when it comes to character, and given that its development is a lifelong journey, we will rise to the occasion in some situations and disappoint ourselves and those around us in others. I firmly believe that character develops over time. Many think that much of a person's character is formed early in life. However, we do not know exactly how much or how early character develops. It may be safe to claim, however, that character does not change quickly. A person's observable behavior is an indication of his or her character. This behavior can be strong or weak, good or bad. A person with strong character shows drive, energy, determination, self-discipline, willpower, and nerve. A person with strong character sees what he wants and goes after it. That person attracts followers. On the other hand, a person with weak character shows none of these traits. A person with weak character does not know what he wants. His traits are disorganized, he vacillates and is inconsistent. A person with weak character will attract no followers. There are many things senior leaders can do to develop leadership character in others. Simply talking about character, making it a valued topic of conversation, stimulates discussion and facilitates individual reflection. A renewed focus on character brings out the best in people and fuels them in their personal journeys to become better leaders. Make sure that character is valued in your organizations. By doing so, it will enable your people to bring out the best of themselves to support and enable others, to ensure that your organization performs at the highest level, and to make valuable contributions to the defense of our great nation in order to retain the freedoms we all enjoy.