One good act doesn't make an impeccable character

Late last year, cancer-survivor Lance Armstrong finally confessed to taking performance-enhancing drugs while winning a record seven Tour de France titles. This happened after many repeated denials. Until the confession, his response to anyone who suggested he cheated and doped was an intense denial. Typically, he would attack his accusers, often calling them all liars.

Similar stories abound in the world of baseball. In the latest episode early this month, Major League Baseball disciplined 13 players for their relationship to Biogenesis of America, a now-closed, Florida anti-aging clinic accused of distributing banned performance-enhancing drugs. Twelve players were suspended for 50 games each. The stiffest penalty was reserved for Alex Rodriguez, who was banned for the remainder of the 2013 season, and the entire 2014 campaign. While some are applauding the ban, others say that the punishment doesn't match the crime.

There have been many outcries against most of these athletes. People are disappointed because they looked up to them, especially because of the good work some of them do in their communities. They wonder how such “good” people could also be cheats.

What most of us forget, is that the fame and riches these people get as rewards from being good athletes does not translate to a change in character. They are who they are. In fact, their visibility as star athletes only magnifies who they already are, and elevates it for all to see. That’s why Michael Vick’s dog-fighting passion came to the fore a few years ago. Their riches helped them to indulge in who they really are.

But that’s not unique to famous people. It's in every one of us. We all have our character flaws. Mine is hidden from the public because I don’t have the fame that will put it on display for all to see.

This is especially true of leaders. The leadership position provides a level of visibility to others. The leader's flaws and shortcomings become easily apparent. Good leaders realize this, and they learn to compensate. They do not wane in their yearning for improvement, knowledge and growth. They acknowledge their areas of weaknesses and surround themselves with people who are strong in those areas. They do not cease to learn and grow.

One Good Act …

An athlete starts a foundation, and does good things in the community. The fire fighter runs into a burning building and rescues 20 people. As a result, we elevate them to the status of heroes. Once elevated, we expect their character to be spotless. There is a human tendency to deduce integrity and character from one (or more) noble acts performed by someone. However, no one’s perfect.

Months later, we discover that the fireman beats his wife and that our star athlete is a fraud. Our hearts are broken, and we get disappointed. But wait! Why do we expect perfection from these people? The good they do in the community does not make them saints. They’re just like us. My one good act does not translate to an impeccable character.

Character and integrity are the glues that tie everything together. No matter how much good you’ve done, one lapse in character could cost you several years to build back the trust that has been lost.

Why is this so?

It's because character speaks! Character communicates louder than anything else. In his book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, John Maxwell describes some of the things that character communicates. He writes, “People will tolerate honest mistakes. People will also give leaders a grace period for connecting with others. However, they won’t forgive lapses in character”.

I used to work with an organization whose CEO was an exceptional leader. He led the business to more than a decade of annual growth and high returns for shareholders. He treated everyone with respect and valued employees’ contributions, no matter how small. When he retired, the next CEO appointed by the Board of Directors was the complete opposite. He was arrogance personified, and did not hesitate to let everyone know how smart and better he was than everyone at everything.

Soon, he got into trouble and was fired. As a result, the goodwill previously enjoyed by the organization suffered. Its solid reputation, built under the leadership of the former CEO took a hit when the new guy showed up. It took many more years of good leadership to build it back. The character of the leader reflects on the team or the organization.

So, is someone a hero because of a few heroics acts? I think not! But just as in the baseball saga, people are lining up on either side of this debate.

The battle rages on.

Declare your intentions or let it be imputed to you.

Last year, I was elected as the President of my Toastmasters club along with six other people on the leadership team. During the first month, I scheduled a one-on-one meeting with each of the other members of the executive committee to share my vision for the next 12 months and discuss my expectations with each one of them.

Since we had only one year to work together, I wanted to establish trust as early as possible. As part of this, I asked each one of them to let me know if there are ways that serving together with them on the volunteer organization could help either their professional careers or personal lives. I wanted to let them know that I care about them and that I’m willing to help in the achievement of whatever goals they have in life.

Each of the meetings went well. For some of them however, I could detect differing levels of hesitation when I got to where I spoke about caring about them personally. I must have sounded suspicious, especially since they were all women! I was the leader of this executive team and the only guy in the group. They didn't understand where I was coming from. I didn't tell them that what I was trying to do was lay the foundation for trust in our working relationship over the next year. I failed to use the opportunity to explain to them the basic principles involved in building personal trust. I didn’t give them the reason I did what I was doing. I didn’t tell them what I was up to, and it spooked most of them!

In failing to declare my intentions, I left a big gap for them to guess at what I was trying to accomplish. This is especially true because they didn’t know me that well at the time. We had all just been elected to serve together in the volunteer organization.

When we fail to declare our intent, others attribute some to us. Unfortunately, what is attributed will usually come from the other person’s values and experiences. We tend to judge the intent of others based on our paradigms and experiences. If you had been taken advantage of in the past by someone in authority, you will be suspicious of any kind of care shown to you by someone in leadership. In my situation, any kind of suspicion could have been avoided if I had simply declared my intent; if I had told them that my goal was to build trust.

Declaring your intent not only builds trust, it also makes you accountable. It signals your behavior. It tells others what to look for in their interactions with you. For a person of integrity, this becomes another facet of accountability that helps you be true to your word. Trust is built as they see you do what you said you will do.

When we say what we’re about, an obligation to follow through is implied. It was Joseph Fort Newton who said, “A duty dodged is like a debt unpaid; it is only deferred, and we must come back and settle the account at last." It becomes a duty once you signal your intention. If you’re a person of integrity, you see that as a debt that must be paid.

Finally, as you declare your intentions, ensure that you’re being honest about it. Nothing depletes trust faster than someone who doesn’t keep their word.

You don’t want to be the hypocrite who says one thing and does another.

Heroes and Heroic Acts

What Are You Up To?