Does Character Matter? The 3 C’s of Leadership

3 C’s of leadership

During the employee recruitment process, whether you’re promoting from within or hiring from the outside, choosing candidates for leadership positions requires great care. Pay attention to these three C’s to make sure you grant authority to the most qualified individuals and confirm you have them yourself.

1. Character

While leadership styles differ, all good leaders command respect. Respect is based on what you say and who you are. Employees in smaller businesses witness their leaders’ actions and words up close and evaluate their character based on personal interactions.  

Ask yourself the following questions about potential leadership hires. (You can also use these questions to evaluate yourself as a leader.) 

• Is the potential leader trustworthy? 
• Are they honest?
• Do they possess integrity?
• Do they keep their word? 
• Do they practice what they preach? 

Employees evaluate these elements to determine a leader’s trustworthiness. If someone demonstrates integrity as a leader, their employees will model this behavior — and the same is true if a team witnesses a lack of integrity. 

For example, leaders don’t want employees to steal from the company. Therefore, leaders must demonstrate that honesty is part of the company’s code of ethics and conduct by not stealing from the government, customers or suppliers. If a leader is unethical, their employees will notice and act accordingly.

Ask the following interview question to help reveal a potential leader’s character: What are the top three characteristics that define you? Share examples from your life.

You can also glean valuable character insights by contacting job references and checking for resume fraud. 

2. Competence

Leaders must understand the correct job procedures and be able to train new employees. Anyone you recruit or promote into a leadership position must demonstrate excellent knowledge of their proposed new management area.

Job and procedure knowledge helps leaders earn employees’ respect. Employees appreciate and respect leaders who understand the nuances of their job functions. While the leader won’t perform these duties daily, their understanding of their employees’ job roles builds mutual trust, respect and credibility. 

Many companies promote internally when management positions arise because these leadership candidates have proven their competence and will command immediate respect in their new role.

3. Communication

Every organization member must know and understand what’s happening on a micro and macro level. If an employee performs a task without knowing its impacts on the operation, they can become disengaged. Therefore, leaders must communicate employees’ tasks and roles as well as why they’re being asked to perform them. Quality organizations don’t adopt a “because I said so” mindset when employees ask why something is happening. Articulating the “why” gets everyone on board with the company’s plans and direction. 

Additionally, leaders don’t use information (or the lack of it) as a weapon. Instead, they’re transparent about what’s happening in the organization, helping everyone get on the same page. Transparency in business communication and actions boosts motivation, morale and engagement. 

Look for “information generosity” in those you seek to promote. If leadership candidates unnecessarily keep work-related information away from co-workers now, they’ll likely maintain this approach when placed in a higher management role.  

Small business owners can’t afford to have supervisors who are “information hoarders” and leave frontline workers in the dark. All your employees should feel like they’re part of a team, and true teams have all the information they need to understand the business’s big picture and why they’re performing specific functions.

How to develop the 3 C’s in yourself

Developing character, competence and communication skills requires dedication and self-awareness. Leadership skills are not innate; they are honed through experience, reflection and practice. Consider the following advice on developing the 3 C’s in yourself.

• Strive to improve your leadership qualities. “Experience, reflection and intentional skill development are the best ways to develop the 3 C’s of leadership,” explained Emily Walton, founder and coach at Alo Coaching. Walton emphasized the importance of navigating challenges to build these qualities. “Raising your hand for opportunities or taking the reins when a leader is needed in a situation is a great way to get this experience.”
• Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Walton noted any leadership journey will have bumps in the road. “You will have failures and missteps, and that is OK,” Walton said. “Reflect on them, look for areas where you could have done things differently, and apply that going forward to build your competence and your character.”
• Practice intentional self-reflection. Intentional self-reflection is a critical part of leadership growth. Leaders should examine their actions, seek feedback, and identify areas for improvement. Cindy Kravitz, director of leadership development at Stryker and founder of The Cindykated Collective, highlighted the role of authenticity in leadership. “Cultivating authentic leadership is an ongoing practice,” Kravitz explained. “Leaders develop these qualities by seeking feedback, reflecting on their values, and constantly learning and growing.” 

Kravitz emphasized that cultivating the three C’s of leadership requires aligning one’s head (thinking), heart (values), and hands (actions). “When head, heart and hands align,” Kravitz explained, “leaders don’t just achieve results — they create a culture of trust, purpose and lasting impact.”

More leadership characteristics that matter

In addition to the three C’s outlined above, other characteristics are essential in potential managers and executives. Here are a few traits to look for when you’re promoting or hiring leaders: 

• Commitment: Managers and executives have enormous responsibilities. They manage teams and job functions while ensuring tasks are completed satisfactorily. If a team member is out sick or someone has made an error, the manager must fill in the gaps and fix the problems, even if it means working late or over the weekend.
• Collaboration: Management is not a one-person show. In addition to encouraging workplace collaboration, leaders must work well with their direct reports and other department or location managers. Collaboration requires excellent, ongoing communication as well as appropriate delegation and follow-up.
• Connection: Ideally, managers should get along well with others. Leaders with excellent people management skills will get more out of their teams and collaborate more effectively with executives and other departments. In some areas, including sales and purchasing, it can be helpful for managers to have a strong network of outside connections that can benefit the company. 
• Creativity: Creativity is an essential leadership trait that enables leaders to inspire their teams and cultivate an environment where innovation and great work can thrive. Carolina Caro, CEO and founder of Conscious Leadership Partners, stressed that today’s leaders must be inspirational forces. “The challenge is that leaders focus on performance and results first rather than creating an environment that will hold the space for their people to create the intended results,” Caro explained. “So the question for leaders becomes, how can I inspire others to want to do great work?”
• Credibility: Fostering trust within your company is essential, and credible leaders inspire trust. Try not to hire people who come off as blowhards; they’ll be disliked and distrusted by their employees and colleagues. Instead, look for job candidates who follow their intentions with actions and have a proven track record.
• Courage: Growth-minded organizations should prioritize courage when identifying potential leaders. Courageous leaders are willing to take calculated risks that can result in significant payoffs, such as opening new markets, introducing innovative products, and challenging traditional approaches to drive progress. Their ability to step outside their comfort zone inspires teams and propels the organization toward its goals.
• Confidence: A manager can possess many essential leadership characteristics and still be ineffective if they lack confidence. Employee directives given without confidence will cause uncertainty and weak follow-through. Moreover, manager reports and recommendations given to the executive team without confidence can cause second-guessing and chaos. Be careful, though: Confidence can easily bleed over into bluster.
• Critical thinking: Solving business problems requires analyzing data, identifying possible solutions and choosing the solution with the best potential outcome. That is why business leaders need critical thinking skills. They must be able to think critically about the reliability and breadth of the data they gather and mentally project proposed solutions into the future with minimal bias.