Week 4 Post 2: Character Leadership

For our class presentation Colleen and I are presenting on the topic of Character. There are many different definitions of character, however it can broadly be defined as the mental and moral qualities and behaviors distinctive to an individual. I was particularly interested in leadership character so I found a good article on the topic, http://iveybusinessjournal.com/publication/developing-leadership-character/. The article gives the readers ten leadership virtues to consider. 
I believe that this is a good list of essential characteristics to have as a leader, as well as a healthcare administrator. Another thing that I liked about the article is that it goes on to show how these characteristics can be used in a positive way as well as a negative way.

I found this chart very informative and will continue to use it in the future in order to develop my leadership character.

How does one go about developing their character? This is an important question that a lot of people want the answer to. First off some dimensions of character, specifically traits, are inherited at birth. Virtues, values and many other traits are developed during early childhood, and modified as a result of education, family influences, early role models, work and social experiences, and other life events. The article includes a great quote regarding character development. The quote is, “Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for they become actions. Watch your actions, for they become habits. Watch your habits, for they become character. Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny”. This shows that the way you act and the habits that you form are ultimately what your character becomes. If you are not aware of this you could potentially become someone that you do not want to be.