Photo Caption: Statue of Saint Peter in Rome.

Build our character and we will build our leadership.

What exactly is character? It describes the moral qualities of a person and is forged by practicing good habits. Grow in the classical virtues and we will grow in character. They are guided by prudence, the habit to choose the good in a situation; temperance, the habit to exercise moderation; justice, the habit to give someone their rightful due; and fortitude, the habit to persevere.

Character speaks volumes. People can sense authenticity — and they can also sense duplicity and dishonesty. When we grow our moral character, we will grow in the capacity to excel in our tasks, build trust with others, and raise those around us to a higher level.

Real leaders have real character. We can look at the classical virtues for further growth and development: which virtue am I lacking most right now? That’s what I can develop and practice. That’s it: practice. We build good habits which forge our character, resulting in greater leadership.

This article is part of the Leadership section. Check out more entries here!