Public Tests-  “Everyone is watching what I will do.”

In a nutshell:  My decisions in these moments often determine the culture of my team.

I couldn’t believe she said it!  I know locker room talk.  I know the stories soldiers tell while on deployment.  But this woman just made me blush!  She also made all the other males at the table laugh.  This was a leadership test I wasn’t prepared for.

Everyone Is Watching

I find the public tests of my character happen quickly.  They often happen in a meeting or at a meal with peers or team members.

Public Tests I’ve Encountered

  • A team member arrives late for a meeting.
  • A peer wants to go to a strip club after dinner.
  • A team member makes an off color joke at dinner.

Each of these situations is a character test.  I have failed and passed these tests on different occasions.  Looking back, I know others were watching me.  As a leader, my character in these situations was on full display.

Public tests of my character may impact my reputation, but they also impact my team.  If I choose the high ground and act in accordance with my professed values, I will likely have a team of high character as well.

Public tests of my character will answer one question for everyone around me.  The answer to that question will go a long way in determining what type of work team or family I will lead in the future.

The Question Answered By Public Tests Of My Character

“Am I a hypocrite?”

OUCH!  I actually began to list all the questions that could be answered by these public tests.  I was on my fifth question when I reread them and realized it all boiled down to whether I really acted on what I said I believed.

Ask any 12 year old you know what is one word for someone who says one thing and does another and they will likely say, “HYPOCRITE”.

  • I can’t say I have high standards and not act when a tenured person arrives late for a meeting.
  • I can’t say I value integrity and then disappear with some peers to ogle women after dinner.
  • I can’t say I have respect for people and allow someone to make an off color joke at  a meeting,

I can’t do any of these things without being a hypocrite.

If I say one thing and then do another, my actions will be noticed by people around me.  Whether it is my team at work or my kids at home, my public decisions will determine the direction and culture of those I lead.

The Bottom Line:

The public tests of a leader often determine the culture of that team.  A leader who decisively addresses a late arrival or an off color joke sets a standard through his actions.  At the same time, a leader who goes out to a strip club after dinner also sets a standard of acceptable behavior.

When I am tested, I must remember the old adage:  “More is caught then taught.”

Over the last few blogs, I discussed small, private, painful and public tests of a leader’s character.  Each of these character tests is unavoidable.

Each of these character tests is also essential for a leader to pass.   Making the right and moral choice in a small, private, painful, or public test shapes our character each time we face them.  With each decision a habit is being formed.

My habitual way of operating determines my character.  As a leader, it is vital for me to realize my character is the #1 determinant of my impact on others.

Question:

Which type of character test do you often face?