The Michael and Cathryn Borden Memorial Book of the Day.*

The Warrior Within
by Pat Williams and Jim Denney


From Mr. Williams' May newsletter:

Hello, everyone! In the last newsletter I talked about a man I admire greatly, John Wooden. "Coach" was able to achieve his success by focus less on the outcome and more on the process. His motto was, "Make each day your masterpiece," and as long as you tried your best, you were sure to be successful.

This method worked for Coach as he built the greatest college sports dynasty ever. Many people remember his seven titles in a row, 10 titles in 12 years and his 88-game winning streak. But more than just the stats, people remembered how he did it. Coach is one of the most beloved and respected success because he is a man of character.

When I was GM of the 76ers in Philadelphia, we had a town full of charismatic coaches: Dick Vermeil with the Eagles, Billy Cunningham of our 76ers, Rollie Massimino at Villanova and Dallas Green with the Phillies. One of my favorite quotes from that time came from Dallas Green as he was talking about building a winning team. “We need some character guys around here,” he said. How true. In order to build a winning baseball team, sales team, church team or any other type of team you are involved with, as a leader, you need to surround yourself with “character people.”

I would define “character” as “an ingrained pattern of qualities, traits and moral attributes that define how a person will act in times of stress, crisis or temptation.” For example, a choice man has the character trait of honesty. That means he will not lie, even if he must pay a price to tell the truth. He will not steal, even if his need is great. He will not cut ethical corners, even if he is severely tempted and no one would ever know the difference.

A choice man says “I accept responsibility” instead of “It wasn’t my fault.” A choice man programs himself to do the right thing, not the easy thing. A choice man can be relied upon as moral, ethical, principled and godly, whether in public or in private, whether his behavior is witnessed by thousands or he is alone and unobserved.

To have integrity is to be a whole and integrated person—no masks, no duplicity, no chinks in the armor. The word “integrity” comes from the Latin integritas, meaning “soundness,” which comes from integer, meaning “whole, complete.”

If you have integrity as a man of God, it means you are the same man at home, at work and at church. You don’t pretend to be a man of honor and truth at church on Sunday mornings and then cut corners and cut throats out in the business world the rest of the week.

Integrity is essential to trust. If people know that you are a man of integrity, they’ll depend on you and look to you as a leader. You’ll have a good reputation: “He’s no empty suit. He’s the real deal.”

To be a choice man of humility means maintaining a sober view of oneself and others. Humility doesn’t mean having a low opinion of oneself. Those who continually run themselves down are often the least humble of all. Saying “I’m wretched” or “I’m worthless” or “I’m nothing” is just their way of getting attention!

Genuine humility is a strength, not a weakness. A choice man of humility is confident without being arrogant. He respects himself without tearing others down. He doesn’t let other people determine his sense of self-worth. His ego can’t be inflated by flattery, nor deflated by insults. Mother Teresa once put it this way: “If you are humble nothing can touch you, neither praise nor disgrace, because you know who you are.”

As you build and manage your teams, continue to surround yourself with character people. It will help you to achieve success in easier, quicker and in a more fulfilling fashion.

A testimonial:

Jim Ross - VP of Development, Crosswinds Youth Services:

"I have heard or given approximately 1,000 speeches as a US Congress Staff Manager, as an author who traveled the nation appearing on 100 major market talk shows and several national shows, and as a higher education administrator at Penn State University and one of the leading community colleges in America. I have heard many of the finest speakers in our nation, but, without a doubt, yours is the very best ever heard in my lifetime"

Books by Pat Williams
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