Power and Character

Power corrupts as Lord Byron once said.  And the possibility that it will corrupt is inversely proportional to the character a person in power has. Without character you have no humility. No humility means a higher chance of corruption and abuse of power. The founders knew this principle well. That’s why America has the Constitution.

Character for a leader is more important than intelligence and charisma. Both intelligence and charisma may help a leader, but aren’t necessarily good traits for the people he rules. Most dictators can have both intelligence and charisma. But all dictators don’t have character.

If a leader is willing to learn he can learn what he needs to learn for the job. Or he can delegate to smart people he trusts that follow the rule of law.

Character and charisma are the only traits that cannot be learned. Given a choice I would choose character for a leader 100% of the time. Hitler, Mussolini, Sadaam Hussein, Stalin and most other dictators have charisma. Like I said earlier, all dictators don’t have character.

 

The fear of God is instruction in wisdom, and before honor is humility.  -- Proverbs 15:33.

Put on humility, because God sets Himself  "Against proud ones, but He gives grace to the humble." (Proverbs 3:34) – Peter 5:5.

Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power. --  Abraham Lincoln.

To lead the people, walk behind them.  -- Lao-Tzu.

A leader leads by example not by Force.  -- Sun Tzu.

A man is only a leader when a follower stands beside [my emphasis] him.  -- Mark Brouwer.

A good leader is a person who takes a little more than his share of the blame and a little less than his share of the credit.  -- John C. Maxwell.

Leaders don't create followers, they create more leaders.  -- Tom Peters.

It is not titles that honor men, but men that honor titles.  -- Niccolo Machiavelli.

A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle.  -- Benjamin Franklin.