The Importance of Having Personal & Organizational Character
Without question, character helps teams accomplish all that they are capable of accomplishing. Character does not determine the destination – talent does that, because it dictates the degree of potential. Character, however, determines whether you actually arrive at that destination when all is said and done.
Of all the teams I have been around that had character, there are certain traits that each one of them possessed. First and foremost, every single one of those teams was able to maximize its ability and opportunities. Each of those teams – collectively, and with regard to the individual members of those teams – reached its full potential and got the most out of its talent.
Secondly, those teams all performed at the maximum of their potential and did it on a consistent basis. Regardless of the opponent or circumstances, each of those teams constantly practiced and played up to its highest level.
Thirdly, the teams with character that I have been exposed to all had the ability to persevere through adversity. Whether it was a small bump in the road, or a devastating injury to a key player, or a bad break or some other form of difficult situation, all of those teams had the resilience to fight through their circumstances. They were able to learn from those experiences, gain motivation from them, and continue to push forward and keep improving. They each viewed those difficult experiences as positive defining moments. While some teams would use them as excuses or simply become discouraged, teams with character bounce back and use those types of situations to spur on moments of future greatness. Rather than get hung up on the past, those teams vow to turn a negative into a positive.
My experiences have taught me that teams with character make the most of their talent and opportunities. They don’t make excuses, they don’t point fingers, and they don’t lose focus. They work toward constant improvement and toward fulfilling their potential. If you don’t have very much talent on your team, then you had better have character. If you do, you will make the most of whatever talent you do have. No matter how much natural ability your team and players possess, people will always be able to watch them play and know without question that they achieved all they were capable of achieving. I do not believe there is anything else that you can ask of a team than to realize its full potential.
If you have a team with a lot of talent, imagine what character can do for that talent. We are talking about character as a factor that helps maximize ability. The more talent you have, the greater the potential you have. If you can develop character to go along with that talent, you will fully accentuate your ability and opportunities, and you can do it on a consistent basis.
One thing is for sure: character will take whatever amount of talent you have and maximize it to the absolute fullest. It will help your team and your players reach their ultimate potential and get the most of themselves and their opportunities. I truly believe that among teams that are closely matched in terms of talent, the team that possesses the greater character of the two will ultimately win at the end of the day.
Your talent determines what you are capable of doing.
Your character, however, determines how much of it you actually do.
Your talent determines what you will be capable of accomplishing. Your attitude determines the quality with which you will perform your work. Your character determines how much you ultimately will accomplish in the end. Talent is a starting point. Attitude is a progressing point. But character is the end-point. It is what allows you to reach your full potential, and to arrive at your intended destination. Talent is a luxury. But character is a necessity. Character counts. Character makes the difference.
Talent Will Only Take You To The Point Where Talent
No Longer Matters
If you think about a high school football player, who may have a tremendous amount of talent, that young man will make it to the FBS collegiate level. When he arrives there, however, every other recruit will have virtually the same amount of talent as he does. What will separate the best from the rest, at that point, will not be talent. Rather, it will be who maximizes his talent and continues to develop his abilities. Talent will be the starting point, but ultimately, it will be the traits and qualities – the character – of a young man, that will determine the ultimate level of achievement that he attains.
“Successful and unsuccessful people do not vary greatly in their abilities. They vary in their desires to reach their potential.”
– John C. Maxwell
Talent will only take you so far. Eventually, you will arrive at a level where everyone else shares the same degree of talent. At that point, it will be the intangibles that make the difference: the work ethic, the attention to detail, the attitude and perseverance, the humility and team-first mentality. In other words: character, and not talent, will make the difference.
Talent won’t be an advantage, because everyone else will have it also. The people who will succeed at that point will do so because of their attitude and their character. That holds true for the high school level, the collegiate level, and even the professional level. More importantly, it applies to life, at every level.
Character Takes You to the Top
If you want to get to the top of your division, of your conference, or even of your profession, then you have to possess the character qualities that will enable you to both excel and succeed. If you want to reach the top, and if you want to stay at the top when you get there, then you had better develop the attitudes and habits that will enable you to attain your full potential and perform at your highest level – every time, all the time. Character takes you to the top. More importantly: character keeps you at the top.
“Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character
to keep you there.” – John Wooden
Simply stated: If you want to be successful in the long-run, you had better develop your character. Character counts, and doing things the right way matters. Ultimately, in the end, it is the character of a man and a team that will make the difference – on the scoreboard, in the boardroom, and in an individual’s life in the years to come.
About the author: Frank DiCocco has coached at high schools in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Virginia, South Carolina and Florida. He is currently coaching at Dwyer High School (FL), the 2009 4A Florida State Champions. He can be reached at his email address: fdicocco@gmail.com.