A Choice of Compromise or Character

Daily life offers each an opportunity, a duty, to make choices.  In my 46+ year journey through a sports career filled with an infinite number of team practices, coaches’ comments, talent identification, psychological assessments, half-time speeches, post-game thoughts; two elements often rise, like cream, to the top.  A choice to compromise or stand as a pillar of your character.

Motorsports driver Robert Wickens (center) exalts decisions of grit, reflection, and a foundation of character in his recovery journey from an accident to driving again!

An endless array of policies has been written due to the choices made.  Choices which compromise often result in poor performance, broken rules, trust eroded, ego exaggerated, and a habit of compromising.

Doing the right thing when no one is watching, a choice of character, often results in long-term gains, consistently higher performance, shared beliefs within a team, personal image lifted, and a foundation to stand upon in moments of choice.

An athlete, administrator, coach within the sphere of development and developing the athlete and organization can build the foundation based upon their features and traits which create the nature of the organization.

In contrast being in a position of compromise a person might dilute their character traits.  We might compromise to get to a position of agreement, but a person of character has ‘non-negotiables which are true to their values and habits.

Fostering character within an organization or within oneself is hard work, the particular combination of qualities in someone or something that makes them or it different from others.  It is this differentiation that is a hard uniform to wear.  We are challenged to compromise to win, gain an advantage, obtain a quick fix.  Society challenges organizations to be consistently successful and organizations base accountabilities upon employees/athletes to constantly reach stretch goals. Building upon your foundation of character is hard work!

Learning from failure is painful but necessary.  In developing a foundation of character, it is often based upon how you deal with failure, making a poor decision. Reflection is a tool to utilize in learning from the failed decision, examining the pathway to the decision and why it was an error.  Robert F. Kennedy reminded us that “only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.”  Sports is a daily effort of routine and development; I encourage you to practice building the foundation for character.

I’m hopeful these words inspire you as individuals, teammates and leaders. I am eager to provide more insights, solutions, and inspiration to elite organizations.

I have amassed quotes and notes on character for your pursual.

Be Well!

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) stated; “The soul of God is poured into the world through the thoughts of men.” 

Adversity is a crossroads that makes a person choose one of two paths:

character or compromise.

 The development of our character is at the heart of our development as human beings.

 Character is doing the right thing when nobody is watching

 There is never a wrong time to do the right thing.

 Character is how you treat people who can do nothing for you.

 Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet.  Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved.

“Watch your thoughts, they become words

watch your words, they become actions

watch your actions, they become habits

watch your habits, they become character

watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”

Character is more than talk; it is how you see and how you act.

Talent is a gift, but character is a choice.

If you think you are leading and no one is following you, then you’re only taking a walk

 You cannot rise above the limitations of your character