Leadership & Character | Charlotte, NC

A group of Wake Foresters gathered over dinner in Charlotte, NC on June 4 , 2019 to discuss Leadership & Character.

Overview and highlights of our Call to Conversation:

• The consensus was that character is learned and certainly influenced by environment but we also discussed the question: is there an innate component?
• We saw character in action through the compassion and unity of our parents.
• We observe servant leadership demonstrated by public figures.
• We witness the desire of others, through their dedication, to give people what they need to be happy.
• We have observed generous sharing with others when it wasn’t required.
• Sometimes we learn character from our children. Sometimes children teach each other.
• It is important to have a moral standard and to take responsibility.
• Character enhances teamwork and problem solving.
• Character is selflessly taking care of others.
• It is important to be authentic and go beyond our baseline values. It is not necessary to be powerful to have character but be thoughtful.
• We did not discuss national leaders. We focused on a more personal level but really did not talk about ourselves. It was agreed that perseverance in the face of adversity was a character trait to strive for. We should want to evolve our character by changing our baseline.
• Our group values were caring, humility, kindness, compassion, honesty and consistency.
• We decided that “it was not up to us to determine if we were people of character”.
• “You never know across whose path your shadow may be cast”.