Latest / Sandra Elizabeth - The Leadership Collective / Self Leadership: Developing Character

Transcript

Self Leadership: Developing Character · Sandra Elizabeth - The Leadership Collective

• 0:16
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Leadership Collective.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Sandra Elizabeth and thank you for joining me today.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_00: You may be driving to work, you may be sitting in your office, you might even be exercising or simply taking a few moments to invest in yourself.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: Today we're talking about something that every leader has, but not every leader develops, and that is character.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_00: You see, talent may get you noticed, education may qualify you, experience may promote you, but it is your character that determines how long you stay there.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_00: Because at the end of the day, people don't follow titles, they follow trust, and trust is built on character.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: Imagine building a skyscraper.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_00: Everyone admires the glass walls, the beautiful architecture, the impressive height.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_00: People stop and take photographs.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_00: But no one talks about the foundation buried deep beneath the ground.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_00: Yet here's the truth: if the foundation fails, everything above it eventually collapses.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: Leadership works exactly the same way.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_00: People notice your success, they notice your achievements, your position.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_00: But underneath it all, your character is the foundation holding everything together.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_00: You may be a leader of children, you may be a leader of your family, a leader of a community.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_00: What foundation do you carry for all of that?
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_00: So let's begin with what is character.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_00: Character isn't your personality, it's not your charisma, it's not your reputation.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_00: It is the sum of your values, your choices, and your actions.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_00: I'm going to say it again.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: It is the sum of your values, your choices, and your actions, especially when no one is watching.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_00: Reputation is what people think you are.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: Character is who you really are.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_00: And here's something worth remembering your reputation is built in public, but your character is built in private.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_00: Ask yourself this question.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_00: If no one ever discovered what you did behind closed doors, would you still make the same decisions?
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_00: That's where character is revealed.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_00: People often believe that character is formed during life's biggest moments.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_00: I don't think that's true.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_00: Character is built in ordinary moments, keeping your word, being honest, showing up on time, owning your mistakes, treating people with respect, doing quality work when nobody checks.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_00: Small decisions repeated consistently become your character, and eventually your character becomes your reputation.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: We have all seen incredibly talented people lose everything.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_00: Not because they lacked ability, but because they lacked character.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_00: Talent can open doors, but character keeps them open.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_00: Knowledge gets attention, character earns respect.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_00: Your influence attracts followers, but character creates trust.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_00: If you're building a career, don't just build your resume, build your character, because one can be taken away, the other becomes your lasting legacy.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_00: There is such a thing called the character test.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_00: See, life has a way of testing us, not only when everything is going wrong, but also when everything is going right.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: Success can test your character just as much as failure.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_00: How do you treat people when you've been promoted?
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: How do you treat the people who helped you start up your organization?
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_00: How do you treat the people who helped you when you had nothing?
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_00: Are you now in the big league?
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_00: Or do you remain humble?
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_00: Do you remember those who helped you?
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_00: Do you celebrate those people who helped you?
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: Does success change you?
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_00: True character remains consistent, whether you're leading the meeting or sitting quietly in the audience.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_00: People are always watching.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_00: Your children are watching, your employees are watching, your colleagues are watching, your friends and your clients are watching.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_00: They may not remember every word you say, but they'll remember how you made them feel.
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_00: How you made them feel.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_00: They'll remember whether you kept your promises, whether you treated people fairly, whether you were dependable, whether your actions matched your words.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_00: Leadership is more caught than taught.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_00: Character requires courage.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_00: Because doing the right thing isn't always the easiest thing to do.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes it costs you opportunities, it will cost you your popularity, it will cost you convenience.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_00: But here's the amazing thing: you never regret doing what's right.
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_00: You may pay a price today, but you'll enjoy peace tomorrow.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_00: Character allows you to sleep at night, knowing that you chose principles over pressure.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_00: Long before Abraham Lincoln became president of the United States, he worked as a young store clerk in a small town in Illinois.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_00: One evening after closing the store and counting the day's sales, Lincoln realized he had accidentally overcharged a customer by a few cents.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_00: Most people would have thought, oh, it's just a few cents.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_00: It's nothing to worry about.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_00: No one will even know.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_00: But Lincoln couldn't ignore it.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_00: After a full day's work, he walked several miles to the customer's home just to return the small amount of money.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_00: On another occasion, he discovered he had accidentally given a woman too little tea because the scales had been incorrect.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_00: Again, after work, he carried the missing tea to her house to make it right.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_00: Think about that.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_00: No newspaper was there, no cameras were rolling, no one was applauding, he wasn't trying to build a reputation.
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_00: He was simply living according to his values.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_00: Years later, people gave him the nickname Honest Abe.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_00: That reputation wasn't built during his presidency.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_00: It was built through countless small decisions long before anyone imagined he would lead a nation.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_00: When the time came to trust someone with one of the most divided countries in history, people already knew something about Abraham Lincoln.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_00: They knew he could be trusted.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_00: Your values are the invincible compass that guides every decision that you make.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_00: When your values are clear, your decisions become easier.
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_00: See, everyone has values.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_00: But the question is, are you living by them intentionally?
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_00: Your values determine your decisions.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_00: You don't make decisions based on circumstances, you make decisions based on your values.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_00: Someone who values honesty will tell the truth even when it's uncomfortable.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_00: Someone who values excellence won't settle for average.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_00: Someone who values respect will treat everyone with dignity, regardless of their position.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_00: Our values become visible through our actions.
• 7:37
  SPEAKER_00: I will continue with the subject of values in our next podcast.
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_00: But let's continue with character.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_00: No one is born with strong character.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_00: It is shaped through our choices, our discipline, our failures, correction and perseverance.
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_00: Your character is built before it is seen.
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_00: It is the invisible work that creates extraordinary leaders.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_00: Your character is not built on stage.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_00: It is built in ordinary moments.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_00: It's built when you keep your promise even when no one is checking.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_00: It's built when you admit you were wrong.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_00: It's built when you speak respectfully.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_00: Character grows quietly.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_00: That's why many people underestimate it.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_00: Your character is not about what you're achieving.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_00: It's not about what you're posting.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_00: It's not about what social media sees.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_00: It's who are you becoming?
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_00: Because your leadership is never just about what you accomplish, it is about the person you're becoming whilst accomplishing it.
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_00: One of my favorite principles about character is pressure doesn't create character, pressure reveals it.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_00: When deadlines become overwhelming, your character speaks.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_00: When someone criticizes you unfairly, your character speaks.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_00: When success finally arrives, your character certainly speaks.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_00: The real test isn't when life becomes difficult.
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_00: The real test is whether your values remain consistent when it does.
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_00: Oftentimes we say failure builds character, but sometimes success tests it even more.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_00: Success asks different questions.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_00: Will you stay humble?
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_00: Will you continue learning?
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_00: Will you listen to people?
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_00: Will you remember those that were in your path?
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_00: Titles have a way of changing people.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_00: Strong character keeps success from changing who you are.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_00: When you enter a room, your character walks in before you do.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_00: Think about the people that you admire the most.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_00: Why do you trust them?
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_00: Is it because they are the smartest, the wealthiest, or the most successful?
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_00: You trust them because they're consistent, their words match their actions.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_00: They're dependable, they are authentic, and their character introduces them before they even speak.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_00: So character isn't something you hope for, it is something you practice, it is something you build.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_00: Here are five daily habits that will help you.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_00: Keep your promises, even if they're small ones.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_00: Own up to your mistakes.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_00: Don't waste energy defending them.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_00: Learn from them.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_00: Be consistent.
• 10:29
  SPEAKER_00: Treat people the same regardless of their position.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_00: Stay humble.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_00: The moment you think you've arrived, growth stops.
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_00: Choose values over convenience because convenience will build comfort, whilst values will build your character.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_00: There is a legacy in character.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_00: At the end of your career, people won't remember all your presentations.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_00: They won't remember your meetings and your achievements.
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_00: They will remember something far more important: how you treated them, whether you kept your word, and whether you could be trusted.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_00: So your character becomes your legacy long after your job title has disappeared.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_00: As I come to the end of this podcast, I want to challenge you.
• 11:15
  SPEAKER_00: I want you to do one thing at the end of each day.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_00: Ask yourself these three questions.
• 11:21
  SPEAKER_00: Did I honor my values today?
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_00: Did I become a better person today?
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_00: Would someone trust me more because of how I lived today?
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_00: My point here is don't measure your day only by your productivity.
• 11:35
  SPEAKER_00: Measure it by the person you became.
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_00: Remember this success can make you visible.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_00: Character makes you valuable.
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_00: Success will open the door, but your character will determine whether people will invite you back.
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_00: Never ever sacrifice your character for temporary success because success without character is fragile.
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_00: Your character without success still has value.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_00: But when success and character come together, you become the kind of leader that people will trust, respect, and remember.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_00: Character is the invisible foundation beneath every visible success.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_00: Build it daily, protect it fiercely, and let it become the legacy that you leave behind.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for joining me today on this Leadership Collective.
• 12:31
  SPEAKER_00: If today's episode challenged you, share it with someone who believes that leadership is about more than titles and achievements.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_00: Remember, your character isn't built overnight, it's built every day, one choice at a time.
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_00: Until next time, keep learning, keep growing.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_00: I'll see you in the next episode.