This historic quote came from John Adams’ summation to the jury during the trial of the British soldiers accused of murder in the Boston Massacre. Adams was actually representing the soldiers.

I was reminded of his quote when I read a post on the Ethics Alarms blog, a site by John Marshall that I refer to frequently for excellent commentary and insights on ethical issues. There is also an excellent treatise on the ethical dilemmas faced by Adams during the trial posted at the Legal Ethics Forum.

This quote about the stubborn nature of facts reminds me of the working definition of Truthfulness as defined by the Character Training Institute:

Earning future trust by accurately reporting past facts.

Facts are indeed stubborn, but they can be reported inaccurately. It is even possible to technically tell the truth and still be deceptive by the way in which we “spin” the facts.

However, someone with a reputation for accurately reporting facts, especially if they are willing to tell the truth to their own hurt, pumps huge amounts of trust into any relationship. And as our Coactivity Maxim states:

The power for effective change rests within our relationships…

You are going to LOVE this short video by Kim Alyn! I first met Kim when she conducted a training conference for the SC Sheriff’s Association a few years ago while I was still in office. I was most impressed by her enthusiasm, commitment to character, and lively presentation. Her message is dead on and exactly in line with the character-based principles of Police Dynamics.

This Up Time! video is just awesome. It is very clever and right on point. I know you will enjoy it. You can learn more about Kim at the Kimberly Alyn website.

I know what you’re thinking: “It’s already March 12. Why is Nash just now posting the Character Quality of the Month?”   Hey, I was in Cancun! Give me a break…!

Here’s a great working definition of Tolerance from the Character Training Institute in Oklahoma City:

“Realizing that everyone is at varying levels of character development.”

When you take the time to think about it, this definition really makes sense. We are all works in progress. Hopefully we are progressing to better character, not worse…

We call character definitions like this “working definitions” because they can be used in the workplace to identify and commend observable behaviors that result from good character. A wise supervisor, or a wise parent, can use definitions like this to make the “character connection.” This is a huge paradigm shift because it forces you to focus on the character quality that produced the achievement (the seed) rather than on the achievement itself (the fruit).

It is a fundamental maxim of character development that if you focus on achievement to the exclusion of character, you actually encourage bad character. I examine this concept in more depth in the training videos “The Law of the Harvest“, “Character v. Achievement“, and “Making the Character Connection“.

Although this site is designed primarily for police, the principles are timeless and universal and can apply to virtually any relationship. The 49 Character Qualities as defined by the Character Training Institute provide a powerful tool for any leader…

You can trace instances of police misconduct back to one of the three root character flaws – anger, lust, and greed. An officer acting out from under authority will often refuse to take personal responsibility for their conflicts and blame other people or other circumstances for their own character failures.

The etymology of the word “character” comes from a Greek word that means “an engraved mark” much like you would chisel into a stone. In the same way, it is our character that leaves a lasting mark on our reputation and the lives of others…

I’m reading Larry Kreider’s new book “21 Tests of Effective Leadership” and so far have been very impressed. Larry identifies 21 tests that each leader must/should encounter and pass in order to be truly effective. If you do not learn the lesson the first time around, God will keep bringing you back to until you do. Each test is identified with a maxim that explains the principle underlying the test.

The first test is the Calling Test and the maxim is: An effective leader will discover his calling and trust God to manifest it.

According to Larry, “God will not call you to something he does not give you the grace to do.” I have used very similar words in counselling those who are seeking to find God’s call in their life.

And it certainly applies to the field of law enforcement. In the early days of my career, I was an “evangelist” of sorts, always trying to recruit young folks into the profession. Later on, as I began to see the destructive effects of the police lifestyle on the lives and families of officers under my command, I took the opposite approach. I began to encourage them to find something else to do with their lives.

Then, as I  matured in my leadership roles, I realized that neither extreme is correct. Now, I counsel would-be officers to examine their hearts to determine if they are genuinely CALLED into the profession. If the answer is yes, pursue it with all of the energy God gives you. If not, find something else to do because you will likely be miserable and unsuccessful.

It ties in with Stephen Covey’s thoughts about the ideals of law enforcement. As you may know, he is the author of the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Some years ago he put together a law enforcement version called the Seven Habits of Highly Effective Police Officers. I took my entire command staff to attend the seminar and it had a profound effect on our performance. I highly recommend it.

Go to Larry’s website to learn more about the 21 Tests of Effective Leadership.

I just started reading “21 Tests of Effective Leadership” by Larry Kreider and already found a great quote in the Introduction! Larry outlines 21 tests that God takes leaders through as He develops their character. I can relate to many of them just by reading some of the chapter titles:

• The Calling Test – An effective leader will discover his calling and trust God to manifest it.
• The Humility Test – Effective leaders give credit to others
• The Releasing Test – An effective leader knows how to empower others
• The Transition Test – An effective leader understands and leads to process of change
• The Criticism Test (I can really relate to this one) – An effective leader accepts criticism and grows in the process
• The Conflict Test – An effective leader embraces healthy confrontation
• The Integrity Test – An effective leader is the same in public as in private
• The Security Test – Effective leaders find security in who they are, not in what they do
• The Expectations Test – Effective leaders avoid unmet expectations
• The Perseverance Test – Effective leaders never give up!
• The Timing Test – Effective leaders understand times and seasons
• The Kingdom Test – Effective leaders focus on the eternal kingdom

Right now Larry is offering his book at a 50% discount. You can learn more about it at http://www.dcfi.org/House2House/21_Tests_of_Leadership.htm

I can already tell that these principles are very consistent with the principles of Police Dynamics and Dynamic Leadership. I look forward to reading the rest of the book…

This video was sent to me by a friend back home. It features the Tussing Elementary 3rd grade class singing a tribute to our military. I would love to see a similar one commemorating our law enforcement heroes as well…