For followers of my blog, you remember that I believe three leadership traits are most important in our very best leaders: competence, moral courage, and character. Earlier posts discuss competence and courage. For the next series of posts, let’s get into character.

There are many definitions of character. I think of it simply as this: Character is what you actually do in morally and ethically challenging situations when NO ONE is watching. In my view, actions are most important: you can have pure thoughts, but it’s what you actually do that indicates your character. Why?

As I write in Marathon War: “A person of character may have many laudable attributes and habits, but they must have integrity, good intentions, honesty that is built upon responsibility, and enough self-discipline to control their actions…” Put another way, integrity, intentions and honesty are the foundations of good character, but the ultimate test is our actions – what we actually do daily, and of course, in the most difficult of all situations.

In my next post, we will talk about how to build character – in ourselves, and in others.

Shameless plug! It’s nine days and counting until Marathon War is released – hard cover, e-book, and in audio book (read by LJ Ganser, the same fellow who brought Lone Survivor to audio). I’ve been doing radio shows almost daily across the United States, but I am ready to get the book in people’s hands!