As a child did you ever break a
window or a toy of someone else’s by accident? Did you take responsibility for
your actions?
When my kids were young, I
noticed a hole the size of a small fist, suddenly appearing in the
wall of our hallway. The hole in the wall was covered by a piece of paper the
same color as the paint on the wall. When the children arrived home from school
I asked, “Who is responsible for the hole, the fist through the wall?”
Each child pointed to the other. I
then asked for each child to make a fist to see who had put it through the
wall. When it was determined which child had done the damage, we all
went to the hardware store to buy the materials to fix the wall together.
My children quickly realized that
it was better to "fess up" when they made a mistake instead of
waiting for my husband or I to find out.
I read a story about Coach Wooden,
which made a lasting impression on me. Coach Wooden had gone with his assistant
Coach with a scholarship in his pocket, to visit a top high school athlete and
his Mother. During the interview the high school athlete was disrespectful to
his Mother. The assistant Coach looked at Coach Wooden, knowing the scholarship
offer was in Coach Wooden’s pocket. They left the athlete and his Mother with
out making an offer.
Coach Wooden said, “If he was
disrespectful to his Mother he would be disrespectful to me!”
A person of character makes good
decisions. Your character is like a seat belt. When you have character, like a
seat belt, it pulls you back, so you don’t go out the window. You think before
you speak!
Bob Costas, NBC Sportscaster
observed, “John Wooden is a man of integrity and always remained true to what
he believed.”
Bob Costas asked him, “How do you
instill character qualities in the young people you teach and coach?”
Coach Wooden replied, “I required
my players and students to treat everybody with respect, whether it be the
custodian or the President of the University. I told them I expected them to
always be considerate of others, and I never permitted the use of profanity.”
I was in a store recently where the
manager of the store was yelling at an employee in front of the customers. On
our journey through life, praise should be done in public and correcting
someone should be done in private. Men and women of character should “pause”
and think before they speak. They should respond not react to a situation.
A person of character owns up to
their mistakes. When they make a mistake they admit it and apologize for it
immediately! When you make a mistake and yell at an employee in public like
this manager did at the store, an apology is in order.
President Thomas Jefferson said it
best. “If you have to eat crow, eat it while it’s young and tender.”
What are the 3 traits you want to
develop to be a person of good character?
1) A person of good character is
honest, has integrity, is dependable, has discipline over their emotions, and
is responsible and accountable.
2) A person of character leads by
example and thinks before he or she acts. They are willing to “pause” and count
to “10 or 20” and think through the matter before responding.
Coach John Wooden said, “The true
test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching.”
3) When you make a mistake be
willing to fess up and apologize. President Thomas Jefferson said it best. “If
you have to eat crow, eat it while it’s young and tender.”
By following the three suggestions
above you will develop good character too and be a role model to someone else!
Madeline Frank, Ph.D., DTM is an
Amazon.com Best Selling Author, John Maxwell Team Member, Certified World Class
Speaking Coach, sought after speaker, business owner, teacher, researcher, and
concert artist. She helps businesses and organizations "Tune Up their
Businesses". Her innovative observations show you the blue prints
necessary to improve and keep your business successful. She writes a monthly
newsletter "Madeline's Monthly article & Musical Tips Blog" and a
monthly radio show "Madeline's One Minute Musical Radio Show". Her
book "Leadership On A Shoestring Budget" is available on Amazon or
Kindle. Contact Madeline Frank for your next speaking engagement at mfrankviola@gmail.com
