Project Managers - Your Character Matters

George Ambler writes about the importance of character at the Practice of Leadership - I couldn't agree more with his thoughts:

Behaviour is the expression of our character, as leaders character is action and as leaders we are judged by what we do. We tend to judge ourselves by our intentions, however we tend to judge others by their behaviour. This means that we often become blind to our behaviours, dismissing them as we understand the intentions behind our actions. However, those who observe our behaviours have no such insight. Leaders who manage their character effectively are acutely aware of this gap and actively seek to manage the impact of their behaviour on others.

Effective leadership requires that we need become aware of how our behaviours are impacting the people around us. We need to understand how our behaviour is being interpreted. Having this awareness allows us to improve our character by changing our behaviour. As behaviour is the ultimate expression of our character or lack thereof.

George ends his post by asking two questions I think are worth repeating here:

• Are you judging your behaviour by your intentions?
• Are you aware of the impact of your behaviour on others?

If you lead with the understanding that you have an impact on everyone you touch during the work day, you will be more aware of how your behavior is/can affect others around you. Practice self awareness, keep your intentions sincere (nothing screams poor character like insincerity), and focus on positive habits that will build your character:

• leading consistently
• doing what you say you will, WHEN you will
• following through on commitments
• being ethical in everything you do
• communicating honestly
• being trustworthy
• managing egalitarian style

And these are just a few to kick off the list. George has more links at the bottom of his post with great resources - go check them out!

Project Managers suffer greatly from a lack of mentors, lack of executive support and training, etc., so we often get left in the trenches to do the dirty, but nonetheless important, work and our professional development suffers as we're off fighting the good project fights for the weekly paycheck. I encourage everyone to take a step back and look at their character, their image - or personal brand - what makes you YOU, and make sure you are sending the right silent message. Character does matter. What are you saying?