Tim and I drive between Hobart and Launceston for work.
It takes a few hours and we chat about random stuff.
Last month, our conversation drifted to the topic of leadership (yes, the drive gets boring!) We want to be good leaders and we want to recruit good leaders. So we ended up discussing this question …
When it comes to leadership, what’s more important – character or competency?
Over the years, both of us have worked with a lot of leaders. Some have been brilliant. Some disappointing. One or two a total nightmare!
As we chatted, we realised that disappointing leaders in our lives often displayed similar traits. They’ve been polished on the outside – smart, articulate, even charismatic – yet lacking in depth and security on the inside.
The inside of a person seemed to make a difference. Character therefore trumps competency. That was how our conversation ended.
A Fallen Star
A few weeks later, I opened our local newspaper and read this headline:
Jane Holden Removed As CEO Of Tasmania’s Biggest Hospital.
This is my hospital – the Royal Hobart Hospital – where I had worked as a physiotherapist and service manager for 8 years.
According to the investigation, “Ms Holden and north-west colleague Gavin Austin had engaged in nepotism and misconduct, hiring family members without following proper process” to the cost of $500,000.[1] Ms Holden’s employment was subsequently terminated … with her maintaining her innocence and indicating a legal challenge to clear her name.
I know little about the facts of her demise … but it was the trigger for thinking and talking about leadership in general.
As you can imagine, the media was outraged by the Minister for Health’s statement to the House of Assembly announcing her termination. So was the Tasmanian public. Yet in contrast, I just felt sad and disappointed.
Why sad? I think I felt sad because I wasn’t surprised.
I’ve simply seen too many capable leaders become a statistic.
Leaving aside the case of Jane Holden (the specific facts are unclear and she has denied the charges against her) let’s talk about leadership in general.
It has been my observation that too many leaders start well but finish badly; promise much but deliver little; abuse trust and misuse power; crash and burn, hurting others as they fall.
Sometimes it’s a competency problem. But usually it’s about character.[note b]
Why Character Trumps Competency
Good character is hard to find. It takes years to build. It’s hidden and it’s slow. It grows through trial and error and is shaped by our response to challenge.
Character trumps competency in leaders because:
• Character is largely unseen (you can’t get a degree in good character) but it shapes everything a person thinks, says and does.
• Character takes time to develop – often a lifetime – and sometimes can’t be taught. In contrast, skills can be learnt relatively quickly. (From my experience, performance managing people who lack character is near impossible, whereas skills can be learnt.)
• Character in the small things impacts the big things – it’s the difference between stopping and seeing the value of a junior staff member, instead of dismissing them in a hurry.
• Character influences how a person deals with conflict and challenge when (and not if) it happens.
• Character shapes succession planning, because only secure leaders create space for others to thrive and overtake them.
Good Leadership Starts With You
Too many leaders disappoint us. We need better leaders. And better leadership starts with you and I.
It’s easy to point the finger at the misconduct of another person. It’s much harder to pause and reflect on one’s own imperfect character and performance – then to do something about it!
Am I fit for leadership and growing in character?
How do I become more patient, thoughtful, resilient, trust-worthy and kind? Are my motivations self-interested or in the service of others? Am I resting enough to live well and to think well? Am I encouraging others to grow? Am I leaving my teams and my organisation stronger than before I arrived?
In short, am I becoming a person of good character?
Tell us what you think – is character more important than competency when picking a leader?
Daniel Sih is a productivity blogger with Spacemakers — a Tasmanian organisation specialising in productivity training and coaching. He’s also a physiotherapist, qualified project manager, Christian minister, father of 3 kids and owner of 12 chickens (yes, a strange combination of skills!) This is his first article with the Tasmanian Times.
