"The only way to be happy, is to give happy."
I just read a great quote by Jon M. Huntsman, billionaire founder of Huntsman Corporation:
"There are, basically, three kinds of people: the unsuccessful, the temporarily successful, and those who become and remain successful. The difference is character."
Wow! Reader comments?
ouch. That kinda hurts, but in a good way. But you know me–only the brutal truth gets through my head, the soft stuff just seems to bounce off. Great quote, thanks.
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That does give one pause for thought … based on what we’ve read in the LLR book, one would assume that Mr. Huntsman’s thought process included something like this:
– unsusccessful people fail, but do not try again
– temporarily successful people succeed, but stop there remembering how good they were
– successful people who remain successful continue to look for new ways to succeed in life.
I believe that you and Orrin put it as “Leadership is Character in Motion”
Thanks again for everything you guys have done to provide an opportunity for the rest of us to follow a great example of the kind of people we can be, and the kind of life that we can live.
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Sometimes you hear people suggesting that anyone can become successful despite lack of morals and ethics. To have someone at the “billionaire” success level drop a quote like that is a powerful testimony to the importance of character!
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Hmm… not bad. kinda reminds me of one I read in a Sci-fi book entitled “Legend of the Stainless Steel Rat” (Sorry I can’t remember the author) but the quote there went to the effect of …
3 types of people… first are those who’ll never learn from their own mistakes. the 2nd and most common are those who will eventally learn from their mistakes. And finally the wisest ones are those who can and do learn from the mistakes of others.
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I think there is a lot of truth to that statement, Chris. But we should always remember that any success makes us only “temporarily sucessful.” Pride comes before the fall and the moment we permanently grant ourselves the rank of “successful” we become dangerously ignorant. The continuous approachability and humility you show, Chris, is a great example and I consider myself fortunate to have personally observed it.
-Larry
Psalm 91 – The Warrior’s Psalm
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Humbling! A needed reminder for ME that I have much work to do on MY character.
Thanks Chris:-)
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Wow that is a tough remark to comment on. It does all the commenting for you!
I guess it fits very well with the saying “People of integrity expect to be believed, and when they’re not, they let time prove them right.”
Only the test of time will really prove a man’s character. People can fool you for a while, but time takes care of that.
Character is also a tough piece in leadership because we all want to be perfect but we aren’t. Whereas in the different levels of leadership there seems to be an almost clear point of moving up a level, in character it seems much harder to “have it down pat” before starting your journey. Yet it is a foundational quality that if you mess up on then your leadership goes out the window. So how do you balance these 2 opposites? When someone messes up (like we all do at times)does that mean he is no longer capabale of leading… obviously not, as long as he is constanly working on himself to get better. At the same time you need to be careful who you are following.
Any thoughts on this?
Thank you again Chris for being a leader of character and for helping us all on our journey.
Yoli
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ydmtgaw1:
Great comments. You are exactly right, the Levels of Influence are fairly clear. It is relatively easy to determine where one is on the scale of the five levels. Character, however, as we discussed in the book, is a foundational quality. It has to be there for the leader to even begin his or her journey. However, it is like a muscle, and can and must be strengthened on a regular basis. Successes and mistakes will come and go, but failings of character, which include integrity, courage, etc. are not easily overcome. People expect these from even a newer leader. Once trust is lost, it is difficult to regain.
Thanks for your insightful input on this site!
Chris
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Hey Chris,
Hope you and your family had a wonderful Chritmas! One of the things I have loved so much about reading your book and reading your and Orrin’s blog is how you both communicate the importance of Character. You both have a teaching style that allows you to take a complicated subject and make it simple for everyone to understand. In other words you “put the cookies on the lower shelf” so everybody can have some. That is what great communicators do! Educators take something simple and make it complicated, compared to communicators that take something complicated and make it simple.
I came across this quote about character and thought you would like it: “Charisma gets you in the door, but character keeps you there.”
Thanks for sharing!
Matt
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In beginning of Sept I read 2 books by self-made billionaires. Winners Never Cheat by Jon Huntsman was the one that changed me forever. The other billionaire had not kept his character through the years. Both writers ‘said’ the same thing, but the outcome of their businesses was entirely different. Without time, I would not have known whose advice to critically ponder. This Christmas, because of that book, “Santa” arrived 2 December and handed each child, grandchild an envelope containing anywhere from $30 to $100. Their charge was to find someone whose lives this money would bless for the Christmas season. That was their present. There was no other. The outcome has magnified and gone beyond the limits of my initial ‘vision’. That is the power of ‘listening’ to someone who has lived…consistently…what he has written. I will be eternally grateful for this revolution (we are in), that has certainly changed ourselves….and on the way to changing our family.
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Miriam Teresi,
Legend of the Stainless Steel Rat By Harry Harrison.
DaveC SciFi Junky
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