Character Builder Secrets

Blog Post: Busting 3 Myths About Coaching Character as a Skill

When it comes to leadership, *character* is often thought of as something you either have or you don’t. But what if I told you that character can be coached just like any other skill? This may sound surprising, but it’s true! In my book *Coach-Ability and The Tricycle Effect*, I focus on how developing strong character skills is the foundation of effective leadership. However, there are many myths that prevent people from understanding that character is not just inherent—it can be learned, developed, and refined. In this blog post, we’ll tackle three of the most common myths about coaching character as a skill.

Myth #1: "Character is something you’re born with, not something you can develop."

One of the biggest myths about character is that it’s something fixed at birth—either you have it, or you don’t. While it’s true that certain character traits might come more naturally to some than others, *character* itself is shaped by our experiences, choices, and the effort we put into growth. Just like learning a new language or mastering a musical instrument, character can be developed through intentional practice and feedback. In fact, the core message of *The Tricycle Effect* framework is that character is the front wheel that guides you and drives your success in leadership. Just like you can train to improve your communication or technical skills, you can work on becoming more trustworthy, responsible, and empathetic.

Myth #2: "Character development is too vague and hard to measure."

Some people believe that character is a "fuzzy" concept that’s too subjective to be measured or coached. But just because character isn't measured by numbers like sales or performance stats doesn’t mean it’s not measurable. In *Coach-Ability and The Tricycle Effect*, I break character down into practical skills like integrity, empathy, courage, and accountability—these are clear, definable traits that can be improved through feedback, coaching, and practice. By focusing on specific character skills and setting tangible goals, you can track progress and see real growth. For example, setting a goal to actively listen to your team’s concerns for a set number of times each week is a measurable way to practice empathy. Just like other skills, the more you practice, the better you become!

Myth #3: "Character development is just about personal growth, not professional success."

Some people think that character only affects your personal life, but it is actually one of the biggest drivers of professional success as well. Building character skills like trustworthiness, fairness, and responsibility directly impacts your ability to lead others effectively. In fact, character is often the “X-factor” that separates good leaders from great leaders. When leaders demonstrate character by making ethical decisions, taking accountability, and showing empathy, they earn trust and loyalty from their team, which leads to a positive work culture and better results. In short, character development is not just a personal endeavor—it’s a professional investment that pays off by building a stronger, more successful team.

Take Action: Build Your Character Skills

Now that we’ve busted these myths, I challenge you to take action! Remember, character isn’t something you’re stuck with—it’s something you can develop and grow, just like any other skill. Start by identifying one character skill you want to improve, and then create a plan to practice it daily. If you’re ready to take your leadership to the next level, I invite you to explore *Coach-Ability and The Tricycle Effect*, where I dive deeper into the steps you can take to build character as the foundation of your leadership.

Ready to start building your character skills?

Stay connected for more insights and tips on developing character-first leadership!

Get the Book:  https://coach.lmdc.us/coachable_book

Get the Course:  https://www.lmdc.academy/pages/the-tricycle-effect-course

Leadership Coach and Trainer, Dane Deutsch, Launches Best Selling Book!

Coach-Ability and The Tricycle Effect – written by Dane Deutsch,

With compelling real-life stories and actionable insights, Coach Deutsch equips leaders at every stage to grow from mere success to meaningful significance through character-based leadership.

Strengthen key character skills like humility, empathy, and trust. Master the three dimensions of coach-ability: self-coaching, coaching others, and being coached by others. Balance technical skills with people skills, even in tough ethical dilemmas.

Build a lasting legacy of leadership that influences others right now. Ready to lead with character first? This book is your road map to not only achieve success but to build a legacy of significance that adds true value to the lives of others.

For more information about Dane as well as the book Coach-Ability and The Tricycle Effect  go to https://www.thetricycleeffect.com.

In this podcast episode, the two hosts explore the question of whether character can be coached and dive into the insights from the book Coach-Ability and The Tricycle Effect. They discuss testimonials from readers who found the book valuable not only for professional coaching but also for personal growth and leadership in different areas of life. The central theme is that character is not a fixed trait but a skill that can be developed and strengthened over time. The metaphor of the tricycle is introduced, where the front wheel represents character skills like integrity and empathy, which guide everything else. The discussion also highlights how these skills can be practiced and improved through daily choices, much like learning a language or an instrument. The podcast emphasizes that character is the foundation to leadership, and working on character skills can have a significant impact on personal, professional, and team dynamics.  Trike On!

Note:  This episode was generated with AI Assistance, and the content was not AI created.  All content was derived from authentic and genuine sources that included the Coach-Ability and The Tricycle Effect book, The Ararat Connection Blog, and/or text that was created by the Author, Dane Deutsch.

Shared with Permission from Will Lukang.

Sharing IWillAim podcast latest episode on Why Tricycles Have One Big Wheel And Two Small Wheels with Dane Deutsch

Episode_013 Wisconsin Veterans Chamber of CommerceConference - Success to Significance Presentation

This is the third of 3 Podcast episodes, the final episode focused on discussing The Weakest Link in Cyber Security: The Human Factor. In this episode, we discuss and share what tools you can use to educate and allow your users to learn to operate so they are using cybersecurity best practices.  The key is to make sure we are giving our team and users the tools they need, so they are not the weakest security link.  I along with my Guest Art Gross, who is the CEO of Breach Secure Now, have hosted 3 Podcast Episodes on The Human Factor.  So, sit back relax and enjoy Episode #3 of the Human Factor which is all about the tools we need to make sure YOU and I are not the weakest link on the Internet!  This episode is focused on making sure we all become a stronger link on the Internet and in cyberspace through education and TOOLS!

Also visit Dane's Blog on this Episode

This is the second episode of 3 episodes focused on discussing The Weakest Link in Cyber Security: The Human Factor. In this episode, we discuss and share how to educate users on cybersecurity best practices so they are not the weakest link.  I along with my Guest Art Gross, who is the CEO of Breach Secure Now, will be hosting 3 Podcast Episodes on The Human Factor.  So, sit back relax and enjoy Episode #2 of the Human Factor which is all about the weakest link on the Internet - YOU!  This episode is focused on making sure we help you become the stronger link on the Internet and in cyberspace through education!

Also visit Dane's Blog on this Episode

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#leadership #charactereducation #cybersecurity #lmdc #cybertechcoach #thetricycleeffect #internetsecurity #humanfactor

This is the first episode of 3 episodes focused on discussing The Weakest Link in Cyber Security: The Human Factor. I along with my Guest Art Gross, who is the CEO of Breach Secure Now, will be hosting 3 Podcast Episodes on The Human Factor.  So, sit back relax and enjoy Episode #1 of the Human Factor which is all about the weakest link on the Internet - YOU!  This episode is focused on making sure we help you become the stronger link on the Internet and in cyberspace!

Also visit Dane's Blog on this Episode

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#leadership #charactereducation #cybersecurity #lmdc #cybertechcoach #thetricycleeffect #internetsecurity #humanfactor

This Podcast compares and contrasts a great video by Simon Sinek where he explains the importance of Trust versus Performance, alongside The Tricycle Effect, where I explain the wheels of a Tricycle being the Character Wheel versus the Competence Wheels. Living by The Tricycle Effect, we can have more success at whatever we do in life, and even more importantly, we can live a significant life for others. Enjoy and Trike On! Coach Dane

Are you a Leader or a Manager? Knowing the difference can make you a more significant and successful person!

So today, I saw an interesting article that came in my email box. And of course, all of us are flooded with emails. This one stood out because it talked about the difference between a manager and a leader.

And I'm telling you, it's easy to say, Oh yeah, I'm a manager at this company. I have 20 people that I manage, but in reality, we don't manage any person at all. We can manage processes and procedures and systems, but we don't manage people, at least not to the extent that they will let us manage them. It's kind of like leading a horse to water, but you can't force them to drink in this particular instance.

When we talk about managing, I am really talking about managing systems, processes, and procedures. And when I'm talking about leading, I use the definition of leadership that John Maxwell uses, which is a great definition, very simple and succinct, easy to remember. Leadership is influence nothing more, nothing less. You can influence people.

Therefore you lead people, you influence people. You manage things which are systems, processes, or procedures, and you lead people. Two very distinct differences and yet critical for a great leader, a strong leader, an effective leader, to be able to know the difference between the two and know when they're managing and when they're leading people. That influence for leadership makes all the difference.