By Henry O.Quarshie

 The one time Chairman of joint chiefs of the U.S. army Gen Norman Schwarzkopf once said: “ 95% of all leadership failures in the last century were failures of character”  The character of leadership is like the foundation of a building, if it is not strong, deep and firmly fixed in place, it will eventually fall.

 It does not matter how anointed a leader is, how attractive his ministry or powerful his gifts, without character, all threatens to collapse.

 “Character is not so much what we do, character is who we are, in turn, determines what we do “ John Maxwell.  Character is your nature, qualities, temperament, personality, disposition, spirit, moral fiber and make up.

 Paul’s concept of a leader in Christian work is one with a willingness for self-development on many levels and in areas– "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14). Paul considered a spiritual leader to be a guardian, one who stands before the people and leads them.

 Paul’s leadership is demonstrated in the variety of qualities he evidently possessed and utilized in dealing with the problems of different people and churches. These qualities included :

A committed leader should be consistent dependable, faithful. and punctual; communicate clearly and honestly regarding plans and expectations; not become enthusiastic about a project then forget it or change directions suddenly without informing others; and keep his word and adhere to the same regulations that have been set for others.

Competence, the quality of being adequate or having due qualification to lead. To be successful in your position and purpose, you need certain skills. One is the ability to communicate effectively. Understand the issues around you. ( politics, economics, social, religion, governance etc)

An effective leader should be reasonable, confident, patient, and cheerful- emotionally stable. Instead of reacting angrily, being stubborn/wilful or becoming easily discouraged when plans do not work out or when difficulties arise, strive for a cheerful and confident spirit.

 Whatever ethical plane you hold yourself to, when you are responsible for a team of people, its important to raise the bar even higher. Your business and its employees are a reflection of yourself, and if you make honest and ethical behaviour a key value, your team will follow suit. By emphasizing these standards, and displaying them yourself, you will hopefully influence the office environment into a friendly and helpful workspace.

Where there's a will, there's a win. Discipline is doing what you really don't want to do, so that you can do what you really want to do. It means paying the price so you can have the reward later. You must develop discipline in three areas.

 Disciplined thinking. Keep your mind active, and always think about the right things.  Disciplined emotions. Either you master your emotions, or be mastered by them.  Disciplined actions. Action separates the winners from the losers. When people act on what they must do, it is for the benefit of all.

 “ Character is the glue that holds our way of life together. We must constantly strive to keep our character intact. When wealth is lost nothing is lost;but when character is lost, all is lost.” Billy Graham. “Ability may get you to the top, but only character can keep you there.”