Are we really surprised to find a link between character and performance?

In the 2018 LCP Global Leadership Survey, we asked 134 Board Chairs, CEOs, executives and senior leaders to respond to a short survey exploring their thoughts on this topic.

Apart from my own leadership experiences in seeing the importance of this relationship over the last 25 years, I have extensively researched this topic since 2010 and am still amazed that many do not believe there is a link between character and performance. There is often an interesting psychology behind this, hidden by the economic justification for expediency in delivering short-term results without regard for the damage this can do to the credibility and performance of a brand over time.

For now, I merely want to highlight some of the preliminary insights from our analysis. From the eighty respondents, 95 percent agreed that there is a link between the integrity of the leadership team and the success of the business. 5 percent disagreed.

We next asked them how they would describe this link?

The three most dominant themes describing this link were:

  1. Great values don’t guarantee immediate success. However, there was acknowledgement that the best people thrive in an environment where there is a commitment to strong values. In the short-term it affects the recruitment and retention of great talent; longer-term, the relationship between values and success becomes more pronounced.
  2. People want to do business with organizations and people they can trust — trust is the currency through which a business can succeed, and it is clearly much more than a mere transaction.
  3. Closely related to the above, there was a clear belief that business success should be measured beyond monetary value.

What’s the bottom-line?

Building resilient character is an indispensable quality for any business, and without it, many corporate collapses and leadership failures provide evidence of how catastrophic the results can be.

Here at LCP Global we are passionate about putting character high on the agenda for businesses that want to achieve great results without having to compromise their integrity. Building Resilient Character is one of the 5 Leadership Anchors™ LCP Global presents as part of a systematic and strategic approach to increasing leadership capacity.

Glenn Williams

Share:

Featured Articles

I Can See My Team Are Worried. What Can I Do-og

I Can See My Team Are Becoming Increasingly Anxious. What Can I Do?

As a leader, you’ve noticed that your staff are stressed. You’re well aware that their collective well-being directly impacts their productivity, creativity, and overall job satisfaction. Once upon a time, leaders ignored or minimised worry or distress in their people, but in today’s world, where anxiety levels have surged, addressing your team’s concerns is critical.

Read More
Beyond-the-Crucible-Meets-When-Leaders

Beyond the Crucible meets When Leaders Are Lost.

I recently had the immense privilege and pleasure of being interviewed by Warwick Fairfax and Gary Schneeberger on the Beyond the Crucible Podcast. Hailing from the Fairfax Media Dynasty, Warwick’s name is synonymous with status, wealth, influence, and the very public demise of the family company in 1987.

Read More
managing-expectations

Managing your expectations in the face of the workplace revolution

In this era of profound change in the world of work and the extended life expectancy of people, it’s not just a shift but a revolution. Improvements in healthcare and lifestyle are enabling people to live longer lives, and it’s not limited to so-called ‘Western’ or ‘developed’ nations; this is a global phenomenon.

Read More