Character is Power
Hey team. Alright, here we are again. I love being able to hang out with you all. I read this quote from Booker T. Washington—some of you might know who he is—and it says, “Character is power.”
When I think about the character of a person, it’s really true. Our true character—who we are at our core—is our power. It is our strength. Bad character, on the other hand, can be a weakness, the very thing that tears us down or prevents us from maintaining whatever we’re trying to achieve.
Getting to the top is one thing. Staying at the top is a whole different challenge, and staying there typically has more to do with your character than anything else. That’s why I really agree with Washington’s statement.
We focus so much of our Monday and Wednesday messages on character—on building our core values, humility, investment, resolve, transparency, and our desire to eat cake. Our desire to be valuable. Nothing less will do.
These are the things that develop us into being great at what we do.
Having humility means recognizing that you are very important, but not the most important. It’s about holding the ladder for someone else to climb, shining the light for others, and clapping for their success. Every Friday, Jimmy posts the last four Officer Highlights, celebrating patrol officers or on-site team members who have done something valuable for the client, the community, and their guests. Every time we recognize these moments, it builds character—both in the individual and in the team.
We are a team of individuals, each making choices between right and wrong. Just last night, I was talking about this with my boys during devotions. We discussed doing the right thing simply because it is the right thing to do. For them, it might mean being at a friend’s house and choosing not to watch a rated-R movie because they know it’s not good for them—not just because Mom and Dad will never find out. These decisions shape character.
We’ve all seen great men and women fall—not because they weren’t good at their jobs, didn’t have knowledge, or lacked influence. They fell because of a crack in their character. That flaw was the thing that destroyed them. They are no longer on TV, no longer in leadership, no longer in the limelight. It had nothing to do with their ability to do the job and everything to do with their character.
So, what kind of character do you have?
Are you humble?
Are you resolved to do the right thing and never quit?
Do you want to eat cake?
Do you want to be valuable, knowing that nothing less will do?
Are you transparent, even at a cost?
Do you have the investment to stay with it?
These are the character traits we aim to embody. When we do, we grow individually, as a team, as a company, and as a community.
Stay true to yourself. Keep doing the right thing. Keep being valuable, knowing that nothing less will do.
Karen, the rest of the team, and I appreciate you for your hard work, dedication, and commitment to doing the right thing—even on the hard days.
When it’s raining and the wind is blowing, you still do the full patrol. You don’t just look out the window and jot down “all secure.” You don’t just pull up to the property, sit in the car, and decide it’s too cold to get out. No—you get out of the car. You step out of the guard shack, you walk the entire post. You check every door, you ensure that everything is truly secure.
God bless you all. Have a wonderful week.
And remember this—keep being valuable. Nothing less will do.
See you next week.
