Blog about Leadership

I was looking up some information on Forbes.com and I came across a quote that I want to share. I don’t know who Wilma Askinas is for most of the information about her on the Internet is quotes. Nonetheless, this is gem to remember.

“Don’t mistake personality for character.” ~Wilma Askinas

So many times, we are attracted and follow leaders based on their personality. They may be charismatic, smart, engaging, passionate, or just simply likeable, but when it comes to leadership, nothing can replace character. Character is a key requirement, because in order to lead there needs to be trust and confidence in the leader. People who follow need to know without any question or doubt that the leader will not disappoint and let them down.

Too often, we hear about a leader who lacked character and did something that completely destroys the trust and confidence of the people who supported and followed him or her. After this, trust and confidence cannot easily be rebuilt. It takes time even when there is a strong bond such as marriage or family, but even in those circumstance once the trust is lost, it takes a long time and vary incremental steps to rebuild. One could even argue that trust is never restored to the same, full degree.

Character is a key requirement of leadership.

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