How to Implement Leader Character Within Organizations

“I believe leader character is the bedrock of an organization. I believe that, over the long term, character becomes the destiny of the organization. Character helps to build and sustain a business over long periods of time.” — Mac Van Wielingen, Canadian investment management executive

In an era of rapid change and increasing complexity, the role of character in leadership has never been more critical. Through various case studies with notable leaders, Gerard Seijts and Kimberly Milani’s book “Character” illustrates how leader character has played a pivotal role in organizational resilience, trust-building, and crisis navigation. The examples presented in these case studies provide practical insights into how character-oriented leadership impacts team dynamics and organizational culture positively, especially in times of uncertainty and complexity​.

The book outlines the Leader Character Framework, providing behavioral examples of each dimension, which can be used by organizations to implement leader character, and guide leadership evaluations and development. This approach allows organizations to make character observable, measurable, and integrated into leadership assessments and training.

Figure 1. 11 dimensions and sub-elements in the Leader Character Framework.

Despite a growing recognition of the importance of leadership character, a key challenge faced by many business leaders is how to implement and embed character in their organization. In their book, “Character,” Seijts and Milani suggest a structured approach centered on development practices, reflection, modeling, and integrating character into organizational systems.

This article summarizes the key takeaways from “Character” and outlines strategies for applying its structured approach within organizations. Practical insights are provided to support leadership development, enhance organizational culture, and strengthen decision-making under pressure, ensuring that leader character is effectively embedded across systems and practices.

Integrate Character Using the Leader Character Framework

The first step to embedding character in an organization is to establish a standardized leader character framework. Building on case studies and insights, Seijts and Milani introduce the Leader Character Framework,  a research-driven model comprising 11 essential dimensions of character. This framework equips leaders with the qualities needed to overcome challenges, inspire their teams, and achieve lasting success. Organizations can use this framework to:

1. Define and measure character-related competencies for leaders. The lack of a unified definition makes character hard to discuss, reinforce, and reward. The Leader Character Framework transforms what is often considered an abstract concept into a concrete, actionable, behavior-based tool for leadership development. This framework identifies and describes 11 dimensions and 62 elements of character, providing a validated and comprehensive way to integrate character-based leadership in organizations. By establishing a shared vocabulary, the Leader Character Framework enables meaningful discussions, alignment, and consistent reinforcement of character in leadership practices. The book provides vivid examples of leaders who courageously embody key dimensions of character, like Maria Ressa, whose accountability and courage in the face of significant professional and personal risk brings the framework to life.¹
2. Incorporate character-related competencies into employee expectations. With clear ways of defining and assessing leader character, it is possible to set expectations for employee behavior that are aligned with the leader-character framework, strengthening values, decision-making, and judgment. These expectations can complement and expand upon an organization’s mission, vision, and values statements, providing the full spectrum of desired behaviors.²

Implement Leader Character into Leadership Development Programs

The Leader Character Framework provides a strong foundation for integrating character into leadership development programs. While traditional training often emphasizes competencies and technical skills, incorporating character-based development provides a deeper layer of insight, equipping leaders with traits like integrity, accountability, and empathy. Embedding character into leadership initiatives fosters meaningful behavior change, enhances team engagement, and strengthens organizational culture and long-term success.³  

Key Strategies for Developing Leader Character

1. Character education and introspection. Educating leaders about the importance of leader character, and its impact on decision-making and organizational outcomes, sets the stage for the long-term implementation of leader character. With a clear understanding of the framework and its impact, leaders can approach challenges through a character-focused lens, uncovering new perspectives and innovative solutions. Introspection is a fundamental part of this process, allowing leaders to develop a deeper understanding of their unique combination of character traits, values, and virtues — many of which they may not have previously considered or connected to their effectiveness at work. “Character” authors Gerard Seijts and Kimberly Milani stress the importance of self-awareness in leadership, drawing from research that shows how introspection shapes judgment and decision-making. For instance, Rashid Wasti’s reflections on leadership gaps emphasize the pivotal role of character in determining whether capable individuals grow into their leadership potential​.
2. Integrating the Leadership Character Insight Assessment (LCIA) into feedback and mentorship initiatives.  The LCIA is a scientifically validated assessment designed to measure and develop leader character. This tool offers a structured way to evaluate the 11 dimensions of leader character, providing actionable insights for self-reflection, coaching, and mentoring. The LCIA empowers leaders to understand their strengths and areas for growth, enabling them to align their behaviors with the Leader Character Framework. By incorporating the LCIA into organizational practices, leaders can monitor their character development over time. The LCIA report provides a strong foundation for self-development as well as coaching and mentoring initiatives. Character development requires consistent integration into daily routines to be impactful. Providing leaders with feedback, coaching, and mentoring on individual character strengths and areas of development fosters the accountability needed to create new character-based habits.

Practical Methods for Supporting Character Growth

Feedback:

• Recognizing the character strengths of others and providing timely, specific feedback on areas of strength and development is a powerful way to reinforce the value of character and encourage its development. As a culture of character develops, encouraging team members to share how character influences their actions can deepen reflection and inspire motivation. Regular check-ins, where team members discuss how character has influenced their decisions and actions in the workplace,​ are a simple and effective way to reinforce the value of character in everyday situations.

Coaching:

• Coaching is an essential tool for cultivating leader character, offering personalized guidance and accountability to drive meaningful growth. Leaders can receive coaching from within the organization, guided by senior leaders who are dedicated to developing their own character and serving as role models. Alternatively, external coaches with expertise in the Leader Character Framework can provide valuable insights and guidance. Peer-to-peer coaching is another highly effective approach, enhancing character development while promoting mutual growth and accountability among team members.

Mentoring:

• Mentoring, a developmental relationship where experienced leaders guide and support others, is a powerful way to cultivate character. By partnering with “character champions” from various areas of the organization, leaders gain valuable insights and practical examples of character in action. Mentors can share personal stories, offer guidance, and help leaders develop key traits like integrity and empathy. This reciprocal process not only strengthens individual character but also fosters collaboration and reinforces a culture of character throughout the organization. In “Character,” the late Honorable Murray Sinclair reflects on the profound influence of a mentor who encouraged him to stay in the legal profession. This guidance inspired him to bring his whole self and unwavering sense of justice to the system, driving change from within. His perseverance ultimately led to numerous achievements, including his role as Chief Commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.⁴

Incorporate Character in Performance and Development Systems

Embedding character into performance and development systems ensures it becomes an integral part of leadership assessment and growth. While traditional performance management often focuses on technical skills and key performance indicators, incorporating character provides a more holistic approach to evaluating leadership effectiveness. Organizations can make character development a more formal part of performance management by:

1. Embedding leader character into reviews and assessments. The standardized design of the Leader Character Framework, enables organizations to assess and provide feedback on how individuals demonstrate character traits in the workplace, complementing traditional leadership competencies and key performance indicators. The LCIA-self and LCIA-360 assessments make it easy to incorporate leader character into performance and development systems. By completing the LCIA-self assessment every two to three years, leaders can monitor their progress, while the 360 version offers valuable feedback from colleagues, providing a comprehensive view of their character development.
2. Rewarding and reinforcing leader character through recognition and leadership development. To ensure the success of leader character initiatives, organizations must actively reward and recognize character as a critical element of leadership. For instance, linking visible rewards to behaviors such as transparency and fair decision-making not only fosters team trust, but also underscores the real-world impact of leader character in daily operations. Without formal recognition, employees may lack the motivation to prioritize leader character in their actions, leading to inconsistencies in fostering a character-driven culture. For example, promoting a leader with clear character deficiencies sends a message that character is not valued, undermining these efforts. To reinforce its importance, organizations should integrate rewards, such as recognition programs or leadership development opportunities, that visibly demonstrate character’s value as a cornerstone of their culture and decision-making processes.

Drive Organizational Growth with Character-Based Leadership

Character is the foundation of effective leadership, influencing everything from decision-making and team dynamics to organizational culture and long-term success. By embedding character into leadership practices, organizations can cultivate a culture of trust, accountability, and resilience that drives both individual and collective growth.

Integrating the Leader Character Framework into daily practices allows organizations to align leadership behaviors with their mission and goals, ensuring that character becomes a core component of their culture. Tools like the LCIA provide actionable insights for measuring, tracking, and developing leader character, helping organizations foster a consistent focus on ethical and effective leadership.

Ultimately, prioritizing leader character benefits not only individual leaders but also the entire organization. With a strong emphasis on character, organizations can build a leadership culture that inspires excellence, strengthens governance, and supports sustainable growth.

Ready to Elevate Your Organization’s Leadership and Culture?

Take the next step toward building character-driven leadership by integrating the Leadership Character Insight Assessment into your performance and development systems. As highlighted in “Character,” practical tools like the LCIA not only measure and track progress but also enable leaders to embody character in ways that resonate throughout their teams and organizations. Start by completing the contact form below and bring the insights from Seijts and Milani’s inspiring work to life in your organization. As the authors say, “Character is the foundation for a just, prosperous, and sustainable future.”​

1. Seijts, G. H., & Milani, K. Y. (2024). Character: What Contemporary Leaders Can Teach Us About Building a More Just, Prosperous, and Sustainable Future. Recorded Books, Inc. (pp. 224-241) ↩︎
2. Seijts, G. H., & Milani, K. Y. (2024). Character: What Contemporary Leaders Can Teach Us About Building a More Just, Prosperous, and Sustainable Future. Recorded Books, Inc. (pp. 8, 13-15) ↩︎
3. Monzani, L., Seijts, G. H., & Crossan, M. M. (2021). Character matters: The network structure of leader character and its relation to follower positive outcomes. PLoS One, 16(9), e0255940. ↩︎
4. Seijts, G. H., & Milani, K. Y. (2024). Character: What Contemporary Leaders Can Teach Us About Building a More Just, Prosperous, and Sustainable Future. Recorded Books, Inc. (pp. 264) ↩︎