Character is basic building block of a leader

I was thinking about how the character of a corporation affects their business success. It seems the news is littered these days with "questionable" decisions made by those in leadership. Do you think the character of a corporation has any impact on their success or the public's perception of that company?

According to the Josephson Institute who has put together a program, primarily used with youth, they have established the "Six Pillars of Character." Here's an excerpt from their website: 

• Trustworthiness: Honesty, Reliability, Courage to do the right thing, Good Reputation, Loyalty
• Respect: Follow the Golden Rule, Good manners, Be considerate of the feelings of others, Deal peacefully with anger, insults, and disagreements 
• Responsibility:  Do what you are supposed to do, Plan ahead, Persevere, Do your best, Self-control, Self-disciplined, Be accountable for your words, actions, and attitudes  
• Fairness: Be open-minded; listen to others, Don’t take advantage of other, Don’t blame others  
• Caring:  Be kind, compassionate and show you care, Express gratitude, Forgive others, Help people in need  
• Citizenship:  Make your community better, Cooperate, Get involved in community affairs, Stay informed; vote, Be a good neighbor, Obey laws and rules, Respect authority

I would challenge you, as a business leader, to evaluate your business or department or team against these six areas to determine your "Corporate Character Score." Which area could you work on improving? 


Do you want your company to be seen as Enron for their corporate financial decisions or Johnson&Johnson for their Tylenol decision?  I hope my company is associated with the Johnson&Johnson side of the character scale. But, it doesn't happen by itself. It takes daily decisions and foundation of the culture to ensure your company's character.