Don’t confuse character with reputation. Abraham Lincoln said, ‘Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.’ Some people spend too much time worrying about the shadow and too little about the tree. Reputation is fragile; character endures.
Good character is ethics in action; it’s the ability to summon the moral strength to do the right thing even when it may cost more than we want to pay.
People of character do the right thing even if no one is looking; they live up to their values even when there is no advantage to do so.
Finally, no one is born with good character. It’s something we all have to build and protect day by day, decision by decision.”
- Michael Josephson
Posts tagged: quote
Character Casts Reputation
No Man is Always Right
“Loneliness is the inescapable lot of a man holding such a job. Subordinates can advise, urge, help, and pray – but only one man in his own mind and heart can decide, “Do we or do we not?” The stakes are always high, and the penalties are expressed in terms of loss of life or major or minor disasters to the nation. No man can always be right. So the struggle is to do one’s best, to keep the brain and conscience clear; never to be swayed by unworthy motives or inconsequential reasons, but…to do one’s duty. It is not always easy.”
- Dwight D. Eisenhower to his wife Mamie February 15, 1943.
Just Do Good Work
“Just do good work. Work, and do it well. Don’t put too much thought into what it is and what it can do for you and how it will be perceived before you even make it. You don’t have control over those other things. Learn your stuff. Do it well. Show up on time. You’ll work”. Actor Steve Zahn quoted in the May 2011 American Way magazine describing advice from older actors he’s worked with including Tom Hanks.
Are You a Leader or a Tyrant?
When we as leaders get in the habit of thinking that other people are there to support our success, we’re actually notleaders, we’re tyrants. Only when we go through the emotional, psychological and spiritual transformation to realize our role is to serve others, do we deserve to be called a leader. - Dee Hock, founder and former CEO of VISA
Truman’s One Sentence Success Formula
Work hard, do your best, keep your word, never get too big for your britches, trust in God, have no fear and never forget a friend. Harry S. Truman
Herbert Hoover on Prayer and Fishing
“Next to prayer, fishing is the most personal relationship of man.”
“To go fishing is the chance to wash one’s soul with pure air, with the rush of the brook, or with the shimmer of sun on blue water. It brings meekness and inspiration from the decency of nature, charity toward tackle-makers, patience toward fish, a mockery of profits and egos, a quieting of hate, a rejoicing that you do not have to decide a darned thing until next week. And it is discipline in the equality of men – for all men are equal before fish.”
“There are only two occasions when Americans respect privacy, especially in Presidents. Those are prayer and fishing.”
Beautiful Teachings of Jesus
If I had seen a Christian living what Christ taught, then I myself may have foillowed and become a believer in the beautiful teachings of Jesus. Mahatma Gandhi
Outside the Walls of the Church Building
The single most important thing to remember about any enterprise is that there are no results inside its walls. The result of a business is a satisfied customer. Peter Drucker
Change: Threat or Opportunity?
Nobel Prize-winning author John Steinbeck asserted, ‘It is the nature of man as he grows older to protect against change, particularly change for the better.’ By its very nature, empowerment brings constant change in that it encourages people to grow and innovate. Change is the price of progress. Insecure leaders view change as a threat rather than an opportunity. – John Maxwell
Gratitude Unlocks the Fullness of Life
Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow. – Melody Beattie