7 Keys to Developing a Character of Steel and Achieving Excellence

There are probably dozens of definitions of character.

Two, come up often.

• Innate: “I’m like that.”
• Developed: “I can choose my answer”.

In Hidden Potential , Adam Grant reminds us that excellence is developed through character.

7 keys to developing a character of steel and achieving excellence

1/ Start with the end in mind.

We spend too much time on what we don’t want and not enough on what we do want.

Every time you catch yourself “complaining,” ask yourself.

“What do I want to achieve? “

A question that changes our perspective.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: How it transformed my life and why it can change yours

2/ Make your decisions easier

Deciding is one of the most difficult things in life.

Often, we say, “I don’t know.”

Thanks to coaching, I’ve seen hundreds of situations go from confusion to clarity.

The key.

Focus and define decision criteria based on what you want. (see point 1)

Decision: to explore the subject further.

3/ Discipline. The bridge between our dreams and our results

There are good days, average days, and days when we think we can’t do it at all.

Let’s remember what we want (point 1). The more we can act even on bad days, the more we increase our chances of success.

Discipline: to delve deeper

4/ Humility

In my leadership acceleration program, leaders choose their continuous improvement goals only after receiving feedback from their stakeholders.

We learn a lot from others.

“I want to work on X, give me two suggestions to become better? “

My desk is at the entrance of the house.

For a while, I had bad posture and was getting a stiff neck.

Every time someone came through the entrance and complimented me on the new desk, I took the opportunity to ask.

I have this problem, would you have a suggestion to improve it.

I had dozens of suggestions until one of them worked. I haven’t had a stiff neck since.

How to involve others and boost our progress (and our careers)

5/ Courage. Facing our fears

What do these 3 points have in common?

• Going to the dentist for a cleaning
• Visiting the doctor as a preventive measure
• Asking for feedback

We’re afraid of what we might hear.

• Negotiate your salary.
• Telling a colleague what’s wrong.
• Asking forgiveness for reactive behavior…

It’s uncomfortable. But it helps us progress.

Courage: dare to commit to your dreams without knowing how to achieve them.

6/ Getting to know yourself

Coaching has taught me that everyone has their own way of doing things.

A walk, a workout, some quiet time.

For me, what works best.

Writing in my diary.

• What triggered my reaction?
• How could I have answered differently?
• What are the next opportunities for me to practice this?

Having two children, including a teenager, is an excellent exercise in taming one’s character.

The Bad Child: How can self-reflection benefit you?

7/ The art of responding intentionally, not reacting.

As soon as emotions come into play, we alter our response.

The idea is not to cut yourself off from your emotions. Not possible in my opinion.

But to succeed in responding as we wish. Calmly and focused on what we want.

In the book Relentless, Michael Jordan’s coach, Tim S. Grover, reveals that his greatest strength was his unshakeable calm.

Whether on the sports field, in an important meeting, or at home, mastering this skill is an asset for continuous improvement.

Conclusion

Are our problems permanent or temporary? This simple distinction clarifies many situations. Seeing a problem as permanent discourages us; seeing it as temporary motivates us to find solutions.

For something as crucial as my character, I choose to believe in my ability to evolve.

What is your view?

See you soon.
Dror

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