Clarity of Purpose Enables Decisive Action
In my last blog post, I talked about the importance of nurturing positive character attributes to prepare for moments when our character will be tested. In this blog post we discuss the attribute of clarity of purpose and its ability to enable decisive action.
I remember visiting the John F Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum on a vacation trip to Boston a few years ago. One of the exhibits that was particularly interesting was the exhibit dedicated to the 1960 televised Presidential election debate that saw John F. Kennedy squaring off against his opponent Richard Nixon. This debate was apparently the first election debate ever televised (television was relatively new in 1960) and it enabled the public to see the immediate reactions of each candidate to the questions they were being asked and the challenges they faced from their opponent. Read more
I remember first reading the quote: “adversity builds character”. I thought this was a valuable insight. However, I later came across a revised version of this quote which stated: “Adversity doesn’t just build character, Adversity reveals character”. The distinction really caught my attention. I believe that there is a great truth here. The essence of a leader’s character is not the situations they have been through – it is how they act when challenged by current situations.
Most leaders have a high level of self-awareness and a positive self-concept. They are confident in what they believe in. When the time comes to take action, great leaders know what to do and have the confidence to do it. “He who knows others is wise; he who knows himself is enlightened.” ― Lao Tzu
One of the virtues of great leaders is the ability to focus on solutions and push the negatives aside. Henry Ford has been credited as saying: “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t — you’re right”.
Great leaders make things happen – they choose their destiny. This blog is part of a series of blogs focusing on the importance of character and how it impacts leaders and leadership. In my 
This blog is the third in a series of blogs focusing on the importance of character and how it impacts leaders and leadership. Following on the previous blog “
In this blog I plan to continue on the theme of understanding the importance of character to leadership. In my 
This blog is the first in a series of blogs commenting on character traits – particularly positive character traits – and why they are important to leadership. Let’s start with understanding the concept of character. The dictionary definition according to dictionary.com is as follows:
