In this episode Mary and I welcome our special guest Natacha Prudent, Director of Leadership, Performance and Talent Management at Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). Our focus is Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and we discuss Natasha and Mary’s experiences linking EDI with Leader Character at CBSA to make progress on this critical initiative. We begin by discussing how each dimension of character impacts the EDI Agenda, how EDI tests Character and how Character, thus tested, must rise to the challenge of supporting EDI. Natacha shares her personal experiences with Leader Character, and how it is a central part of her personal leadership development. We discuss emotional tax, recognizing privilege (Bill and Mary provide personal examples), political correctness, unconscious bias, and why color blindness is not enough. Natasha shares how Leader Character is practically linked to EDI initiatives, and how you know when your organization is making progress. If your organization is considering an EDI initiative, or in the midst of an EDI program, then Leader Character is an indispensable ally to making it work.  

Resources: 

- Race Talk and the Conspiracy of Silence: Understanding and Facilitating Difficult Dialogues on Race by Derald Wing Sue (Author) will help the readers address discussing racism in their daily lives. This book explains why “colorblindness” never accomplishes equality and the danger of staying silent in situations of injustice toward Black people. 

- Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi explains exactly how racist ideals were developed and spread in America and just how deeply-rooted they are in our entire society. 

- How to Be An Anti-Racist. Author Ibram X Kendi breaks down what exactly “anti-racism” means and why it’s so important. 

- Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome: America's Legacy of Enduring Injury and Healing by Dr. Joy DeGruy. This book explores the psychological and emotional impact on African Americans after enduring the horrific Middle Passage, over 300 years of slavery, followed by continued discrimination. 

- 3C’s of -Leadership:  https://www.leadforward.ca/blog/2016/10/31/developing-leadership-character-pt-1

- Leadership Character Framework:  https://www.ivey.uwo.ca/leadership/research-resources/leader-character-framework/

- Ian O. Ihnatowycz Institute for Leadership:  https://www.ivey.uwo.ca/leadership/

- Virtuosity App:  https://www.dropbox.com/s/e3l6l46u8bsxkn9/Video%20-%20Introduction%20to%20Virtuosity%20Character%20App%20-%202020-07.mp4?dl=0

This episode is absolutely packed with content – so much so that you might find yourself coming back to it from time to time. With our special guest Corey Crossan, Mary and I connect the PABC framework with the Leader Character framework, and how they work together to strengthen character. Do you have a learning block? Have you found yourself struggling to move to the next level of leadership? Do you find that your performance deteriorates under stress? This episode provides you with the keys to understanding these vexing obstacles and overcoming them. We discuss mindfulness, meditation, processing emotions, the need for emotion in decision making, the Fixed versus Growth Mindset, dysfunctional Core Beliefs, and so much more. Corey and Mary provide examples of how to troubleshoot PABC weaknesses, the value of positive emotions, the use of music in character development, how to pursue group character development, and how positive character contagion often arises from the group’s most vulnerable members. Most leadership training focusses on behaviour and cognition. By including all elements of the PABC framework and integrating them with Leader Character, you can develop the habits you need for new personal and professional growth. This is a critical episode for HR professionals, those engaged in designing and delivering Leadership and Development programs, and anyone who is committed to their own professional development and personal well-being.

- Interoceptive Ability Predicts Survival on a London Trading Floor, Kandasamy et al, 2016 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5027524/

- Carol Dweck, TED Speaker, https://www.ted.com/speakers/carol_dweck

- Allen Watkins TED talk on heart rate variability, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q06YIWCR2Js

- Barbara Frederickson, Positive Emotion, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKggZhYwoys

- PABC Schematic: https://www.dropbox.com/s/60mxw7ir6bqrwrg/PABC.png?dl=0

- "Towards a Model of Leader Character Development: Insights from Anatomy and Music Therapy", M. Crossan, C Crossan and C. Ellis, Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies (pending)

Have you ever wondered how an organization is embedding Leader Character? Mary and Bill welcome special guests Sonia Côté and Steve Virgin from Canada Revenue Agency to answer this exact question. This is a super long episode because Sonia and Steve have so much to share! From Sonia’s first exposure to Leader Character, to her hiring of Steve as the world’s first Director of Leader Character, Sonia and Steve discuss their incredible journey. We discuss Sonia’s vision of elevating character to the level of competence; the link of character to excellence and well-being; how Sonia overcame the questions and concerns that were initially raised; the importance of organizational preparation; Steve’s focus on the development of character throughout the organization; how CRA incorporated character into their interview processes (hint: you need to have character to interview for it!), how powerful that process is for both interviewers and interviewees; how character based interviewing can help minimize bias in the hiring process; the process to utilize metrics to measure character’s impact; lessons learned and so much more. Sonia and Steve discuss real life examples of how Leader Character has improved decision-making and outcomes and is influencing discussions, conversations and culture throughout CRA and beyond in federal agencies such as Canada Border Services, Public Prosecution Service and the RCMP. This is a must see / listen episode for leaders at all levels, and especially those in HR, the C-suite and CEOs.  As Mary says, “Don’t sit back and wait for someone else, you can do this!”

Ivey 3C’s of Leadership:  https://www.leadforward.ca/blog/2016/10/31/developing-leadership-character-pt-1

Leadership Character Framework:  https://www.ivey.uwo.ca/leadership/research-resources/leader-character-framework/

Ian O. Ihnatowycz Institute for Leadership:  https://www.ivey.uwo.ca/leadership/

Virtuosity App:  https://www.dropbox.com/s/e3l6l46u8bsxkn9/Video%20-%20Introduction%20to%20Virtuosity%20Character%20App%20-%202020-07.mp4?dl=0

CRA Article: https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/organizational-dynamics/articles-in-press?page=3

In this episode Mary and Bill discuss how Leader Character gets embedded in organizations. Drawing upon practical experience implementing Leader Character programs in organizations as diverse as Manulife, Revenue Canada and an NHL hockey team, Mary shares her insights including: why it is important to institutionalize Leader Character; the pent-up demand within organizations for Leader Character; how a Leader Character program is often supported by all parts of an organization; how one person with strong character can make an enormous impact; why Leader Character implementation supplements existing Mission, Values and Leadership statements and is often organic, contagious and can be largely self-directed; why Leader Character is foundational to any culture; what metrics to use when measuring the impact of a Leader Character program; introducing the mobile Leader Character App “Virtuosity” (TM); and the role of the Board of Directors and Regulators as key influencers to encourage organizations to adopt Leader Character.   

Ivey 3C’s of Leadership:  https://www.leadforward.ca/blog/2016/10/31/developing-leadership-character-pt-1   

Leadership Character Framework:  https://www.ivey.uwo.ca/leadership/research-resources/leader-character-framework/   

Ian O. Ihnatowycz Institute for Leadership:  https://www.ivey.uwo.ca/leadership/   

Virtuosity App:  https://www.dropbox.com/s/e3l6l46u8bsxkn9/Video%20-%20Introduction%20to%20Virtuosity%20Character%20App%20-%202020-07.mp4?dl=0

Can you really change your character? This is the question we get most often, and the answer is a resounding YES! In this seminal episode Mary and Bill welcome special guest Ph.D. candidate Corey Crossan, and we discuss how character is different from personality, how personality influences character development, the key principles of character development, the process and barriers to such development, and the importance of surfacing and resolving your dysfunctional core beliefs (e.g. fixed vs. growth mindset) in order to achieve your character development goals. Mary and Bill then share three personal stories of character development, and the profound difference it has made to those lives. This inspiring episode gives you the confidence and means to intentionally and intelligently develop your own character, leading to improved decision-making and judgment, leading to better outcomes and sustainable well-being.  

Ivey 3C’s of Leadership: 

https://www.leadforward.ca/blog/2016/10/31/developing-leadership-character-pt-1 

Leadership Character Framework: 

https://www.ivey.uwo.ca/leadership/research-resources/leader-character-framework/ 

Ian O. Ihnatowycz Institute for Leadership: 

https://www.ivey.uwo.ca/leadership/ 

Virtuosity App: 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/e3l6l46u8bsxkn9/Video%20-%20Introduction%20to%20Virtuosity%20Character%20App%20-%202020-07.mp4?dl=0

In this episode Mary and Bill discuss the interplay between context, character and decision-making. We know human behavior is profoundly influenced by the situations people perceive themselves to be in. Conversely, people tend to under-estimate their influence on their own context. Mary and Bill discuss how character can not only resist adverse context, but when exercised, can also positively change one’s environment. This leads to minimizing poor judgments, and in overcoming adverse context creates positive spaces that allow good judgments and well-being to flourish. Bill and Mary provide a number of examples from both critically acclaimed movies and real-life that explain and evidence the powerful effect that character brings to our lives, and the positive, contagious effects on the organizations, communities and societies in which we live.  

Money priming:  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26214169/ 

Andrew Fastow interview at Ivey: https://www.ivey.uwo.ca/news/blogs/2018/4/welcome-to-my-world-says-former-enron-cfo-andrew-fastow/

Friendly Fire: The Accidental Shootdown of U.S. Black Hawks over Northern Iraq, https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691095189/friendly-fire 

“42” (2013), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/42_(film)  

Elevating leader character alongside competence in selection: A case study of Canada Revenue Agency, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0090261620300036?via%3Dihub 

Ivey 3C’s of Leadership: https://www.leadforward.ca/blog/2016/10/31/developing-leadership-character-pt-1 

Leadership Character Framework: https://www.ivey.uwo.ca/leadership/research-resources/leader-character-framework/ 

Ian O. Ihnatowycz Institute for Leadership, https://www.ivey.uwo.ca/leadership/ 

Question of Character website: https://www.questionofcharacter.com/ 

Virtuosity App: https://www.dropbox.com/s/e3l6l46u8bsxkn9/Video%20-%20Introduction%20to%20Virtuosity%20Character%20App%20-%202020-07.mp4?dl=0

Episode 2 is the second of two episodes that completes the introduction of the Ivey Leader Character Framework. Hosts Bill Furlong and Professor Mary Crossan review the key points from Episode 1 and then using clips from the movie Invictus, observe and analyze Nelson Mandela’s inspirational, charismatic and effective leadership. In the movie Invictus Mandela is portrayed (accurately in our view) as a paragon of leadership, and observing his behaviours through the lens of Leader Character allows us to truly understand the sources of his exceptional wisdom and judgment, and we begin the exciting experience of activating our own Leader Character. This is turn creates the inspiration to pursue our individual Leader Character journey.  

Ivey 3C’s of Leadership: https://www.leadforward.ca/blog/2016/10/31/developing-leadership-character-pt-1  

Leadership Character Framework: https://www.ivey.uwo.ca/leadership/research-resources/leader-character-framework/  

Frans de Waal’s TED Talk – Two monkeys were paid unequally: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meiU6TxysCg  

Invictus, Warner Bros. Pictures, 2009 [clips start at 8:25 and 28:55)  

Question of Character website: https://www.questionofcharacter.com/  

Virtuosity App: https://www.dropbox.com/s/e3l6l46u8bsxkn9/Video%20-%20Introduction%20to%20Virtuosity%20Character%20App%20-%202020-07.mp4?dl=0

Episode 1 is the first of two episodes that provide an introduction to the Ivey Leader Character Framework. Hosts Bill Furlong and Professor Mary Crossan describe the purpose and benefits of Leader Character, and why you might want to listen to this podcast. Bill and Mary discuss the genesis of the Leader Character Framework, how it was developed, the supporting academic research, the focus on sustained excellence, the central role of judgment, the virtue/vice problem, some examples of where Leader Character is making a profound difference in the lives of people today, and so much more.

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Webcast: Book Launch - Leadership on Trial: A Manifesto for Leadership Development.  https://www.ivey.uwo.ca/leadership/research-resources/books/leadership-on-trial/

Ivey 3C’s of Leadership: https://www.leadforward.ca/blog/2016/10/31/developing-leadership-character-pt-1

Leadership Character Framework: https://www.ivey.uwo.ca/leadership/research-resources/leader-character-framework/

Question of Character website: https://www.questionofcharacter.com/ 

Virtuosity App: https://www.dropbox.com/s/e3l6l46u8bsxkn9/Video%20-%20Introduction%20to%20Virtuosity%20Character%20App%20-%202020-07.mp4?dl=0