No championship team can survive on daily pep talks, even if given by a fantastic coach. At some point the athletes need to be self-motivated enough to be enthusiastic about the game and their contribution. Joyless players—regardless of their natural talent—simply won’t reach their potential as...
Generosity is defined by Strata Leadership as ‘Managing resources to freely give.’ Most of the time, when we think about generosity, we think of giving our finances or our time to those in need. But generosity—and freely giving—can go much deeper. This month’s Character magazine asks a simple but...
Initiative, which we define as: Recognizing and doing what needs to be done before I am asked to do it. It sounds simple, but initiative is one of the most powerful traits we can cultivate. It’s the difference between being a bystander and being a difference-maker. Initiative means we don’t wait...
Everyone has one of those drawers in their kitchen, office or garage. You know, that drawer…that is the landing place for all the stuff we don’t know exactly where to put. The one benefit of that drawer, if there is a benefit, is that it provides one place to hide our disorderliness so that...
Cautiousness is defined as “taking time to ensure the right decision is made or action is taken.” In our American culture’s view of what it takes to be successful, cautiousness is often undervalued in the same way that meekness or humility or deference are undervalued and seen as fear or weakness....
Aristotle once said that “Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.” Although he didn’t have to deal with sluggish Wi-Fi or face lengthy traffic jams on the freeway, I’m sure Aristotle’s time shaping medieval scholarship lent to many opportunities for patience-building. I can just picture the...
I’ll start with a question. What are you looking for? There’s a simple truth that’s easy to forget. Generally, people find what they’re looking for. Where you expect to find kindness, kindness is often found. Where you look for disappointment, disappointment is easy to come by. When you don’t like...
Diligence is defined as “focusing my effort on the work at hand”. A young high school student, just trying to find his place in life, had aspirations to play sports. Although he was relatively short and very skinny, he tried out for his High School’s varsity team. After the try-out, he learned he...
Persuasiveness has fallen into a bad light these days. Some may actually see it as a negative trait due to stereotypical images of pushy sales people and overpromising politicians. Persuasiveness can easily become contentiousness with a polarization of viewpoints, which we see all the time on...
There are certain character words that when you hear them, they immediately resonate. Loyalty – Demonstrating commitment to others. When you hear the word Loyalty, what are some thoughts that create visions in your mind? A loyal pet that greets you when you return home. A loyal brand that you...
Determination can be defined as overcoming obstacles in order to reach my goal. Determination is the fuel necessary to get us to the finish line. Conversely, inertia is a relentless villain itching for us to “fall off the wagon,” the villain that is rooting for us to quit and remain unsuccessful...
Vince Lombardi related success to determination when he said, “The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.” Not their attainment of excellence, but their commitment to it, their...
