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...
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...
Earlier this month I had the opportunity to participate in a trip with my church. The purpose of the trip was to hold a ladies Bible conference at two different Navajo/Apache reservation churches in Arizona. With eight people traveling together, cooperation was essential. We flew out on a...
We all know what honesty is, but even so, it is still easy to distort or exaggerate the truth. We live in a world that is easily influenced by headlines that are written to grab the attention of the reader. Often, the most attention-grabbing headline may not be untruthful, but it may be...
As 2020 was coming to an end, I started reflecting on the past year and how it made me feel. I realized the one word that summed up everything I was writing down, was the word, “angry.” So, while this character introduction is for POSITIVITY, it is also a symbolic funeral for my anger. It is an...
The enemy of generosity can be greed, but there is another enemy of generosity, and that is good intentions. Good intentions not carried out have the same end result as not sharing for a more selfish reason. As I had this thought it spoke volumes to me, knowing how often I have good intentions...
When I was deciding what character trait I wanted to write about, one word stood out to me: Dependability. The word Dependability brings back a few vivid memories. As a child, I was taught that the one thing in this world that you have full control over is your word. My late grandfather used to...
You may be familiar with the popular leadership book Good to Great by Jim Collins. As we reflect on the character trait of Resilience, I would like to share a story from Good to Great (2001) about Admiral Jim Stockdale and the Stockdale Paradox. Admiral Jim Stockdale was the highest-ranking...
This past winter, I had the opportunity to be a State Senate Page for Senator J.J. Dossett. The duties of a government Page are relatively simple. I would deliver memos and legislative materials around the Capitol and assist in the Executive Assistant’s office. Some days I sat in on Committee...
Flexibility can be defined simply as adjusting to change with a good attitude. Change is always challenging, even in the best of times, but we now have an opportunity for an attitude check, a progress report on our flexibility, if you will. A crisis has a way of revealing who you really are and...
Alertness – Being aware of what is taking place around me so I can respond appropriately. Each of our areas of responsibility requires that we be alert to warnings, whether it is equipment, processes, or situations. Some rely on systems to help stay alert, and others rely on their senses to remain...
When I was asked to write an article on humility, my first thought was, “They absolutely chose the right person to write this article.” Obviously, I’m joking. I’ll never forget a conversation I had with my mother years ago when I was just entering my teenage years. Our family was heavily involved...
