The Character of a Company
Character is not about personality it is about values and the behaviors that support those values. Personality is not very changeable however as people gain life experience what they value may change as well as their respective behaviors.
When a person’s behaviors match their purported values they are said to have character.
A person described as having “strong or good character” is usually someone whose behaviors reflect the values of the prevailing culture.
A person of “low character” is usually someone who either has behaviors inconsistent with the values they espouse or have behaviors consistent with values not considered acceptable by the prevailing culture.
The character of the leadership of an organization is usually reflected by the culture of that organization. Recently we have come to know all too well the character of some of our largest financial and investment firms. Make no mistake, it starts at the top.
Many organizations attempt to express their values through slogans and well crafted statements usually prominently displayed in one way or another. The values of an organization are not defined by what is stated as expected but by the behaviors that are accepted and reflected by the leaders.