My boys are involved in Scouting, and they love it—especially the camping. I thoroughly enjoy participating in the program with them, and it has brought us closer together. The Scouting program builds character, trains boys in the responsibilities of citizenship and develops personal fitness (among other worthwhile things). Plus, Scouting is one of the few programs out there today where your faith can play a key role in what you do.

All that’s important, I think. Perhaps these days more than ever.

There is a lot of talk lately about people’s character. I’ve always heard that you can best judge a person’s character by what they do when nobody is looking at them. That includes (but is certainly not limited to) what they have on their computer screens during the work hours or on their home computers late at night or how they behave when they’re 1,000 miles away on a business trip.

On the other hand, I also think you can tell a great deal about a person’s character when they are under extreme pressure and everyone is looking at them. The ways in which pressured people have behaved badly lately are almost too many to count. There’s Tiger Woods and his multiple infidelities, Senator John Edwards’ debacle (fathering a child with his mistress, Rielle Hunter) and Mark McGwire’s admitted steroid use (after first refusing to answer questions put to him by Congressional investigation members). Closer to home, there’s Richard Scrushy and former Birmingham mayor Larry Langford. Actually, it’s a long, sad list.

Compare this to others who readily admitted their transgressions and quickly took responsibility for their actions. These people owned up to their mistakes and, to various degrees, asked for forgiveness. Not long ago, Charles Barkley was arrested in Phoenix for running a stop sign and driving under the influence. His excuse? He was in a hurry to have sex with a woman who is not his wife. He later publicly apologized. So did David Letterman, who was having sexual relations with co-workers. Now, I’m certainly not condoning this kind of behavior; these still are examples of people behaving badly. But at least they immediately took responsibility. I am just saying: No matter what you do, take responsibility for your own actions. Have character; don’t be one.



Nobody is perfect. Those situations or times when we have not done the right thing could be the defining moment when it comes to character. When faced with the “character test,” make sure you pass by taking responsibility for your own actions. Admit any guilt, own it and ask for forgiveness. Sadly, in business these days, there are more “characters” than character.