Our Reputation, Our Character

by Staff
Forerunner, May 2002
Topics

Character

Character, God's

God's Character

Godlike Characteristics

Godly Character

Name

Name, Value of

More...
Related

The Ninth Commandment

The Ninth Commandment (1997)

In nearly every high-profile political race we see in

America, the issues of the election often take a
back seat to the usual overwhelming concern
about the personalities involved. Image
consultants, tactical experts, and various other
specialists are often brought in to the campaigns to
"soften or strengthen" their own candidate's
image, while doing everything in their power to
destroy their opponent's. We frequently see
candidates and their assistants using these tactics
to the max, muddling the needs of their
constituency with a false impression of the person
who gains the office.
Since much of the world has gone from a moral
philosophy to the present immoral or amoral one,
how one appears to the world has readily
overtaken the substance of who we are and what
we represent. Phrases like "perception is reality"
have become mantras for many who want others
to view them in a positive manner without the
responsibility to act accordingly. What we see is
very often not what we get, but a homogenized
version we see portrayed.
It is usually after the fact that these situations
come to light to their fullest. As we look in life's
rearview mirror, the name Adolph Hitler, for
instance, brings immediate thoughts and views
about who he was, what he did, and the impact
that his life has had on history and the people of
his time, obviously very negative. The same is true
when a person talks or thinks about the person
of Jesus Christ, which is usually positive. In fact, it
is generally true for anyone with whom we have
some connection. These people leave us with
impressions or a certain impact (positive or
negative) on our mind or lives. We often refer to it
as their reputation.
People often associate a reputation (or a good
name) as a top priority for which we should strive.
In fact, our reputations should be important to us,
especially as they relate to our fellow man and, of
course, to God. However, as we see in many cases,
reputations are often more manufactured than
real. This leaves us wondering, "Is a good
reputation all there is to the equation, or is there
more to it?"
Webster's New World Dictionary defines reputation
as "the estimation in which a person or thing is
commonly held, whether favorable or not; its
character in view of the public, community, etc."
What is unfortunate about some people's limited
conception of reputation is what we often see and
believe about someone may or may not be "totally"
who that person is. This is especially true for those
to whom we have limited exposure or those who
are good at hiding the "real person" behind a
facade of deception, a trait evident in many circles
(politics, business, religion) today.
The philosopher Elbert Hubbard probably put it in
the most succinct way when we regard reputation
only on its own merits: "Many a man's reputation
would not know his character if they met on the
street." This is especially true with people of
renown (politicians, actors, athletes) whose
reputations are often skewed by the media or
others, often leaving an impression that may or
may not be who or what that person actually is. As
Hubbard reveals, the real defining aspect,
character, must be defined in his reputation to get
a real picture of who and what a person is, not
only as he appears. In light of this, what does God
have to say about our reputations and the need of
character as its foundation?
Is A Good Name Enough?
Henry Ford once said, "You can't build your
reputation on what you're going to do." In a way,
this endeavor is at the heart and core of a number
of biblical instructions, that is,faith and works as
dual responsibilities of a Christian, law
and grace as dual factors insalvation, and
reputation and character as dual definitions of
what we are on the outside as well as within. From
this assessment, reputation should be built on and
maintained by ongoing effort and not simply by
perceptions, deceptions, wealth, or prestige.
Proverbs 22:1 echoes this: "A good name is to be
chosen rather than great riches, loving favor rather
than silver and gold." The word "name" comes
from the Hebrew word sheem, which designates
something as a mark or memorial of individuality,
and by implication, honor, authority, or character.
The King James Version (KJV) also translates it into
"fame," "famous," "infamous," "named," "renown"
and "report."
From this verse, we see that a good name (a
combination of reputation and character) certainly
should outweigh riches, prominence, position and
status. Conversely, a lack in either can leave us in
a state of moral and/or spiritual poverty, seeking
self-worth over godly worth.
An example of this can be seen in those who strive
for political office or a promotion. They attempt to
leave an impression of character with the public or
a boss, but it is an impression built on a shaky
foundation of duplicity. While they may have a
"good" reputation, it is not supported by the real
important ingredient, character, which is earned
throughout our lives.
A starkly contrasting example of this is that of
Jesus Christ as a man: "[He] made Himself of no
reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and
coming in the likeness of men" (Philippians 2:7).
ChristGod Himselfhumbled Himself,
surrendering His right to a godly reputation, yet
still left the legacy of righteous character and
reputation as a human.
Ecclesiastes 7:1-8 gives another example of a
good name, this time compared to that of fine
ointment and life and death. The chapter starts
with "A good name is better than precious
ointment," but goes on to say "the day of death [is
better] than the day of one's birth." Ointment, in
this case, symbolizes a richness or excellence that
is added to a person's state, or it may represent
anointing oil used to set a person or thing apart as
different or special. Verse 8 concludes, "The end of
a thing is better than its beginning, and the patient
in spirit is better than the proud in spirit."
In human terms, we know at birth we are a clean
slatewe have no knowledge,
understanding, wisdom, reputation, or character.
Only at death, after lifelong endeavor, do we have
the total life experiences to establish a good or bad
name and reputation, and this occurs because of
the character we have gained or failed to gain in
the process.
For those who truly desire it, a good reputation
and godly character is built patiently and not
through devious or self-aggrandizing means. Based
on this, reputation or a perceived good name is
simply not enough without the character to
accompany it.
Those Who Know Us Best?
It is not without validity that most of our
impressions or beliefs about our family, close
friends, and acquaintances automatically involve
knowledge about their character as a part of their
reputation. Obviously, our interactions give us
insight to these people's characters and
reputations, whether our perceptions are true or
false. Those who know us best will see any growth
of character or lack of it. Even so, some can have
blind spots in relation to a particular person (for
instance, a mother may ignore her son's flaws), or
the person may have a talent for concealing their
shortcomings, even from those closest to them.
We see a positive side of this in Acts 6:1-3, where
the apostles tell the church to choose seven men
to become deacons. One of the criteria was that
these men were to be "of good reputation," which
translates from the Greek word martureo, meaning
"to be a witness, that is, to testify (literally or
figuratively)." The KJV also renders martureo as
"give [evidence]," "bear record," "obtain a good
honest report," "be well reported of."
These men were to show evidence of God's
Spirit and wisdom in their lives, a combination of a
good name as well as growth in character. It is
interesting that, because they knew them best, the
people were to select these men according to their
character.
What happened in the years after this in the early
church is a mirror of circumstances we have seen
in today's church. Just as in the Seven Churches in
Asia (Revelation 2-3), we see churches and
brethren with various reputations and character
traits. Some are fairly sterling in their godly
qualities, while others are criticized for striving to
portray themselves as godlyoften a thin veneer
of reputation that hid the truth from other men but
obviously not from Christ.
The same can be said of those who were to be the
overseers and shepherds of the church, but who
often became disillusioned and fell away or
became false teachers (II Timothy 2:15-18; II
John 9-10). Similar attitudes occurred in the Old
Testament in corrupt men like Eli's son's (I Samuel
2:12) and Samuel's sons (I Samuel 8:1-3).
Like these churches and leaders of old, we have
seen reputations and character change as people's
true beliefs have revealed themselves. In these
times, a person who desires to have a good
reputation certainly sees the need for godly
character, which many in God's church have sadly
discarded or maybe never even had. When we
think about various individuals or organizations
that are now or once were within the church, what
we perceive of their reputations often differs from
the opinions we once held. This does not
necessarily mean that our perceptions were
incorrect, just that we may not have the ability to
ascertain all of a person's strengths and
weaknesses, even of those closest to us. It also
shows that no one can stay stagnant; one must
either grow or regress.
Name, Reputation, Character
All of us are aware that names often mean
something. My own name, Rodney, means "famous
or renowned," and my last name, Keesee, means
"cheese maker." Even though I worked for a
nationally known maker of cheese for a number of
years, it does not mean my name is representative
of my entire lifestyle, reputation, or character,
mainly because I do not work there anymore. It
was just a part of my life, not my entire existence.
Conversely, God's many names represent His
reputation and character. Faithful,
Omnipotent, Merciful, Preserver, and Provider are
just a few of His names that personify God's Being
with traits of His character. When God promises to
provide all our needs, we can call on His name,
because He has proven that He will do what He
says He will do.
Aphorist Benjamin Franklin declared, "Glass, china,
and reputation are easily cracked, and never
mended well." With God, we know this is never an
issue, but for us it is often a lifelong endeavor.
While most of Franklin's statement is true, when
reputation is coupled with an obvious growth in
character, we can mend even a bad name,
especially with God, who is the One who really
counts in the end. With a truly forgiving person,
we can have similar results.
Consider certain biblical characters like Jacob
(renamed Israel) and Saul (renamed Paul) whose
names God changed to better fit their growth (new
personalities or character) in His eyes. Jacob the
heel-catcher becomes a prevailer with God. Saul
the desired becomes Paul the little.
Receiving a new name is a promise that God
extends to those whom He calls "overcomers"
in Revelation 3:12. Interestingly, the Greek word
for this new name,onoma, means "a name or title
designating authority or character."
So even God himself declares that His reputation
will not be sullied or tarnished by deceivers,
nonconformists, and imposters. He will save and
give eternal life to overcomers and those with His
character, the fruits of which Galatians 5:22-
23 lists.
The famous UCLA basketball coach, John Wooden,
probably said it best: "Worry more about your
character than your reputation. Character is what
you are, reputation merely what others think you
are." In a way, he simplifies it exactly as God
wants it. While we should never diminish or negate
our name and reputation with unsavory actions,
we can overcome a bad name if we grow in the
godly characteristics we see revealed in the Bible.
Even if our name, in this world, is less than stellar
but tarnished because we are Christian, it is better
than compromising our values in order to fit in.
Unlike the world, with its politics, games, and
fantasy, we must embrace the real world where
God exists. What He thinks is most important to
us. Like Christ, we must be willing to be "of no
reputation" to this world, waiting on the reward
that grace, patience, faith, and hard work bring
versus the deceptive ways of Satan and this world.
The definitive mark and goal for us should be a
good name with a fervent desire to grow in holy
and righteous character.
Character vs. Reputation
JANUARY 18, 2014 ~ YUKTAKHER

Be more concerned with your character than

your reputation, because your character is
what you really are, while reputation is
merely what others think you are.
For me, this happens to be an issue of great mark.
We all live in a world where each one of us is on
pins and needles about how people see us, how
people judge us; a world where people would do
anything for the sake of maintaining that image in
the eyes of others.
We all are conscious about our reputation. We all
must perpetuate, we must keep going, we must
stay at the top at any cost, come what may. Do
whatever you can do for this, lie if you can, pretend
if you can, but always look the best in the eyes of
others!! Have a top-notch and sans- pareil
image in front of others, always..!!
Yeah, it happens everywhere. Most of us have this
kind of mindset. It even happens with me. Im a
regular school going girl, who is academically good.
I usually come first in my exams. But then, I have
to maintain this position. I cant afford to come
even second in my class. I have to maintain my
 hard-earned reputation, come what may.
Unnecessary competition magnifies just to be at
the top. Take an example of political parties, who
fiddle with the elections, just to prove that they are
incomparable..!!
At times Ive been disappointed to learn people
werent who I thought they were. People are not
real because they are concerned about what others
will say. People are dying secretly and living a
double standard life because of this. People live
false lives; they live pretentious lives just because
they have to look good.
Character is who you really are. Reputation
is who people think you are.
A speaker made this statement recently and Ive
been pondering over it since. Ive heard character
defined as who you are when no ones looking.
Experience tells me these statements are true
because too often Ive discovered the public face
people present is not always an accurate reflection
of who they are in private. In other words, what
you see or think you see isnt always what you
get.
The distinction between character and
reputation is particularly significant at this
time of year as political candidates
desperately seek to convince us of their
worthiness to be elected. They are all putting
 their best face forward, enticing us with
ready smiles, clever rhetoric, apparent
concern and genuineness. Theyre selling us
an image. Would I lie to you? they all seem
to be asking, sincerity oozing from their
pores.
But thats the problem: We really dont know
these people. We only know what we see
actually, what theyre willing to let us see.
And their opponents are eager to make us
believe what we think, were seeing, isnt
true at all.
Good character gives birth to a good
reputation, but a good reputation does not
ensure good character.
As I watch those aspiring for public office
make bold promises, assuring me they are far
more capable and better suited for office
than their opponents, I think, I hear their
words and see their polished gestures and
expressions, but wish I could see their
heart.
Reputation is what men say about you on
your tombstone; Character is what angels say
about you before the throne of God.
Ultimately, its not our pretentious part
which is rewarded, but our real character.
This was sort of my thinking too! Reputations can fall
apart because of other peoples opinions but your
character will remain strong and true to who you are if you
work to keep it that way.

ank you Steven :) Yeah, the last line definitely serves as a

reminder that its not reputation, but our character which
gets rewarded by god, no matter how much time we spend
on building a good image.. :)
Very insightful post and very true. Reputation is fleeting
and can change at the drop of a hat, like the politicians you
refer to, but character is more lasting and solid. You are
very right when you say Good character gives birth to a
good reputation, but a good reputation does not ensure
good character.. So I say concentrate on your character
it is more lasting. Thanks for sharing this.

You have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.
Revelation 3:1
Legendary basketball coach John Wooden (19102010)
believed that character is far more important than
reputation. Your reputation is what youre perceived to
be by others, Coach Wooden often told his players, but
your character is what you really are. Youre the only one
that knows your character. You can fool others, but you
cant fool yourself.

In the book of Revelation, we find the words of the risen

Christ to seven churches in Asia. To the church in Sardis,

Jesus said, I know your works, that you have a name

[reputation] that you are alive, but you are dead (Rev.

3:1). The Lord knew the truth about them, and no doubt

deep down they knew it too. Jesus told them to wake up

and strengthen the spiritual life inside them that was

about to die (v.2). He urged them to remember the truth

they had received, obey it, then turn around and start

moving in a new direction (v.3).

When the Lord shows us whats wrong in our lives, He

always provides a remedy for change. When we turn from

our sins, He forgives and strengthens us to start over.

How liberating to exchange a false spiritual reputation for

the true, life-giving character that comes from knowing

Christ our Lord!

Men talk too much of gold and fame,

And not enough about a name;
And yet a good names better far
Than all earths glistening jewels are. Guest
The true test of our character is what we do when no
one is watching.
INSIGHT:
Todays reading takes the spiritual temperature of the
Christian church in Sardis. This city contained devotees of
many pagan gods and goddesses. This might have been a
contributing factor to the spiritual lethargy in some of the
members of the church (vv.1-3), yet a remnant had a vital
spiritual walk (vv.4-5). A worldly environment does not
need to determine the way a believer lives. Spiritual
vitality is an individual choice of yielding to Gods
transforming work.

IVE GOT A RAD REPUTATION / AS A COOL DUDE

JANUARY 17, 2014 ROB'S SURF REPORT 57
COMMENTS

Once upon a time, I had a reputation that preceded

me:

Bojan: Smile for the

camera, dude.
Simon: Oh wait, I forgot to tell you-
Bojan: Whats that?
Simon: Look out for Surfer Rob, man.
He will break your day.
(Photo credit: st0nemas0nry)
I was the kid that teachers warn each other about. I
was the talker, the disruptor, the cut-up;
sometimes, I was the kid that made teachers
wonder why they even bothered.
It followed me from one school to the next, but the
way I remember it, I wasnt even that bad many
of those teachers suffered from a characteristic (for
the educational mentality of the time) lack of
patience. Sure, I was loud, obnoxious, self-
righteous, and sometimes I stole things. I would
often talk out of turn, and that would be enough to
get me into trouble.
Then I started swearing. I didnt know the meaning
of the word profanity until the sixth grade, but I
used it nonetheless as part of my common
vernacular. I can still be a little loose with it at
times, especially when Im upset.
Once a bad kid, always a bad kid. I was often
thought of as a bad kid, but as it turns out I
wasnt. Because of the way my life has gone, I
have this deep-seated belief that every person has
within them a seed of the goodness in their true
nature; it waits to be called forth, to become a
force in ones life. Young or old, we all have the
ability to call forth this good spirit and to be a
better person; the more we call, the more it
becomes an integral part of who we are.
Later on in life I would try harder to keep my head
down; at this point I feel as though I have elevated
that to an art form. But would I like to build a better
reputation? As a blogger? I must admit I wouldnt
mind having a reputation for well-written, high-
quality content good stories, inspiring haiku
something to keep my readers thinking all day.
Im beginning to feel stagnant in my longform
posts, or at best, hit-or-miss; Im not writing the
engaging content I once aspired to. If you have
comments, suggestions, or criticism, now is the
time to lay them out there and help me to become
a better blogger.
Well what do you think?

This post was prompted by todays Daily Post

prompt.
The title of this post is a nod to the Eagles Life in
the Fast Lane, but I modified the line slightly to
refer to me. :)

Reputation vs Character? According to John

Wooden, We Should Choose Character
by Donald Miller

John Wooden said Your reputation is who people

think you are, your character is who you really
are.

So, what would it look like for us

to have great character in 2012 and stop working
on our reputation? Who really cares what people
think?

I learned this lesson several years ago. I ran into a

person who worked endlessly on their reputation
but had terrible character. When their character
was revealed (which happens in intimacy) they
were a complete let down. The truth is, they
wouldnt have been a let down at all if they would
have been themselves.
People dont judge who we are, they judge
who weve led them to believe we are.The
more time and effort we put into making
ourselves look great, the longer and harder
the fall when the truth comes out. And
eventually the truth comes out.

What I took from that relationship was difficult, but

its something we have to face in our early
twenties, usually, and thats theres a difference
between our reputation and our character. Since
then, Ive decided not to work very hard on my
reputation. Or at least I hope thats true. I air most
of my dirty laundry, so nobody will judge me.
People only judge those who claim to be better
than others, more holy, more righteous more
moral. When Im ethical, I just look good. When
somebody who works on their reputation isnt
ethical, they find themselves in social court.
Working on our reputation is just a dumb move.

Here are some other reasons to have good

character and not worry about our reputations:

1. God rewards character, not reputation. To care

about your reputation means you care more about
public opinion than the opinion of God. I notice that
some of my friends who work endlessly on their
reputations never really advance in life, love or
their careers. People who work on their reputation
have their reward in full meaning that God has
no interest in rewarding them, but they will get
people to be impressed by them and thats about
all they are going to get. This is the essence of
worldliness even though it is wearing religious
clothes. The worldly person gets their pleasure and
redemption and religion from the world, a person
who knows God doesnt work for an human
audience. Who cares what they think, honestly. Just
do the right thing because its the right thing and
let God reward you.

2. If you present yourself as better than you are,

you cant have intimacy. People who lie about who
they really are are socially bankrupt, lonely, and
have a string of bad relationships. Why? Because
they cant let people know them. They are too busy
trying to win in some kind of game. Screw the
game. Make friends. Settle for being medium great.
Youre heart will thank you.

3. Tell the truth. Theres nothing more healing than

living in the truth and presenting yourself as who
you really are. Its easier to sleep at night.
4. When you work on your character, youre
working on the stuff that happens when nobody is
looking. This is infinitely more difficult than
misleading and deceiving people. But its the stuff
that really sets you apart. Its the stuff God
rewards.

What would your life look like if you stopped

working on your reputation and started working on
your character?

Whats the Difference Between Reputation and

Character?

According to the dictionary, we get the following

definitions:

Reputation: overall quality or character as seen or

judged by people in general
Character: the mental and moral qualities
distinctive to an individual
If you take a look at the definitions above, you will notice
that reputation is simply what others think of you. It is a
formulated opinion. It is important for others to think highly
of you, but your life should not be based on it. Character,
in contrast to reputation, is the mental and moral qualities
distinctive to an individual. Character is who
someone is!
As Christ followers, we should desire to possess character
that models Christ. We all will mess up at times, but our
life should be characterized by following God. I found this
quote that directly correlates with this post:

Your character is what you really are, while

your reputation is merely what others think
you are.
-John Wooden

Although my reputation means a lot to me, I would rather

possess Godly character over all of it. Even though it is
important to set a great example, it is more important what
God thinks of yourather than what others think of you.
As Christ followers, we are supposed to set the example.
But if the example is artificial and not really a part of your
life, that will eventually hurt others.
God calls us to lead others authentically, not
artificially.

Obviously, it is important to have both a great reputation

and Godly character. As a follower of Jesus Christ, these
should line up the same in your life. It doesnt mean that
someone will come along and try to destroy your
reputation. People will always try to tear you down.

Our whole purpose on this earth is to bring glory to God

and His kingdom. We are to Amplify Gods
Kingdom!. In order to do this, we must set the example
(reputation) and live it out (character).

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ,

as though God were pleading through us: we
implore you on Christs behalf, be reconciled
to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to
be sin for us, that we might become the
righteousness of God in Him.
-2 Corinthians 5:20-21

What are your thoughts on reputation and

character? Feel free to share in the
comments!
- See more at: http://brandongilliland.com/what-is-the-
difference-between-reputation-and-
character/#sthash.nDD90c3f.dpuf

Too many people are worried about their reputation (to

some point they should be) rather than focusing on
building character and living a CONSISTENT life of
authenticity.

Sadly yes...both inside the church and in the world. We

are conditioned to seek others approval without really
looking inside and evaluating who we really are. It's tough
work to build Godly character, must easier to "look"
holy/good. We can appease our moral conscious by
writing checks to missions or buying presents for orphans
at Christians instead of allowing God to change our hearts
and use us in ways that make us step out of our comfort
zones.
Great post Brandon! Reputation, as we find out from time
to time, is what others believe as opposed to how
someone actually lives. Both in and out of church,
scandals hit the news, and somehow, we are always
"shocked" to find out our impressions about someone's
reputation were way off.
Character, on the other hand, is who we really are deep
down inside. It's part of our moral compass, and along with
our upbringing and faith, help to guide most every decision
or action. It rarely wavers. It's our default. It's a little harder
for people to "see", but it is who we really are, even when
no one is looking.

Awesome explanation! I think it's important to realize that

without God placed first, our actions can be very selfish.
That can turn into corrupt character.
When the scandals happen, it's a gradual decline of
morals which leads to a character flop.
It's important to remain humble and realize that anyone
can fall.
Both reputation and character are important.

Lessons Learned from John Wooden

By JD
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Peace of mind attained

only through self-
satisfaction in knowing
you made the effort to do
the best of which youre
capable. John Wooden
John Wooden was a living legend. He was also one
of the most successful basketball coaches of all
time and he lived a simple life focusing on personal
excellence, personal integrity, love, and balance.
When I first heard John Wooden during an
interview, what struck me was the simple rules he
lived by that helped him make meaning and find
happiness. It was the first time I heard somebody
say that success is peace of mind. His way to
achieve it was simple too give your best where
you can.
What I liked most about his approach is his pattern
of focusing on what you control, and realizing that
the rest is a by-product that may or may not go
your way. For example, you can play your best
game, but still lose. You can build your character,
but your reputation may not match. You can make
your best plays, but that doesnt mean the score
will show it. Rather than chase or focus on the by-
products, focus on the getting there and playing
your best game, from the inside out.
If you want to start with the personal side of
Wooden, I recommend watching John Woodens
Love Letter (4:35).

25 Lessons Learned from John Wooden

Here is my collection of lessons learned from John

Wooden:
1. A doer makes mistakes. If youre not
doing, youre not learning. Everybody
makes mistakes. Its what you do with them
that counts.
2. Academics are enduring. Getting an
education is a #1 priority. Wooden made it a
point to his players that they were first and
foremost a student (the student part of
student athlete). Wooden said, If you let
social activity take precedence over the other
two (education and sports), then youre not
going to have any for very long. Wooden
 also said, Sports are kind of like passion and
thats temporary in many cases, but
academics thats like true love and thats
enduring.
3. Agree to disagree, but dont be
disagreeable. According to Wooden, We
can agree to disagree, but we dont need to
be disagreeable.
4. Be on time, no profanity, and dont
criticize. Wooden learned this from his
Dad. He had three rules for the students he
coached: 1) never be late (start on time and
close on time), 2) not one word of profanity,
and 3) never criticize a teammate.
5. Its not whether you won or lost, its if
you played your best game. If you won,
but didnt play your best, then you didnt
really win. If you lost, but you played your
best, then you didnt really lose. Wooden
said, Never mention winning. My idea is
that you can lose when you outscore
somebody in a game, and you can win when
youre outscored.
6. Coach for life, not just the game.
Wooden promoted the idea of a teacher
coach. Wooden said that as a coach, you
teach sports. However, according to
 Wooden, a coach has to be more concerned
about the overall learning, than just the sport
or just winning the game. Wooden said, It
can be done in a way thats also helping
them develop in other ways that will be
meaningful forever. Its about building
habits and practices that support students for
life. Wooden credits the fact he was a
teacher before he became a coach, helped
him organize his time better and learn that
he has to work with each individual a little
differently.
7. Dont let your limits limit you. Dont
let limits get in the way. Wooden Dont
let what you cannot do, interfere with what
you can do.
8. Dont whine, dont complain, and dont
make excuses. This is another trio of rules
Wooden learned from his Dad Dont
whine, dont complain, and dont make
excuses you get out there and whatever
youre doing do it to the best of your ability.
No one can do more than that.
9. Everybody is unique. As a teacher,
Wooden learned early on the importance of
paying attention to each individual. He
learned that he had to work with each
 individual a little differently, and that no two
are identical. They can be alike in many
respects, but they arent identical. He
learned that each student or player would
have different strengths and weaknesses and
that he would have to vary his approach to
help them unleash their best.
10. Failure is not fatal. Keep going. Dont
let setbacks stop you. Carry your lessons
forward, and change your approach. Wooden
said, Failure is not fatal, but failure to
change might be.
11. Focus on character over reputation.
Your reputation may vary. Its your character
that counts and its what you can control.
Wooden said, If you make the effort to do
the best of which youre capable, trying to
improve the situation that exists for you, I
think thats success and I dont think others
can judge that, and I think thats like
character and reputation. Your reputation is
what you are perceived to be, and your
character is what you actually are, and I
think the character is much more important
than what you are perceived to be.
12. Its the company you keep. Wooden
enjoyed being a teacher and a coach because
 he felt he was in great company and he was
shaping the future. Wooden would say,
those under your supervision are the
future. According to Wooden, A coach is
like the teacher who once was asked why she
taught; they asked me why I teach and I
replied, where could I find such splendid
company They arent just students or
players, they are future doctors, etc.
13. Its the journey. Its the getting there
thats fun. Wooden said, Cervantes said,
The journey is better than the end. And I
like that. I think that is its getting there.
Sometimes when you get there, theres
almost a letdown, but its the getting there
thats fun. Wooden would say, I liked our
practices to be the journey, and the game
would be the end the end result.
14. Journal for reflection and growth.
According to Wooden, he journaled for all his
players, and this is a difference that made
the difference. The journal is how he could
focus on little distinctions and really fine tune
the practices and drills to be more specific
and relevant for each player. Its how he
personalized the practices. Its this
personalization and paying attention to
 strengths and weaknesses that really helped
him bring out the best in each player.
15. Its courage that counts. Courage is
what keeps you going. Wooden said,
Success is never final, failure is never fatal.
Its courage that counts.
16. Keep your emotions in check. Wooden
was strict about keeping his players
emotions in check. He didnt want anybody
to be able to tell whether his team had won
or lost, just by looking at them. He didnt
want his team to get overly emotional about
their wins, or overly emotional about their
losses. Instead, he wanted a focus on
whether they played their best and that only
each person would know whether they really
gave their best for the situation.
17. Make each day your masterpiece.
Wooden made the most of each day, by
design. Wooden Make everyday your
masterpiece.
18. Make the effort to be the best you can
on a regular basis. According to Wooden,
If you make your effort to do the best you
can regularly, the results will be about what
they should be, not necessarily what youd
want them to be, but theyll be about what
 they should, and only you will know whether
you could do that and thats what I wanted
from them more than anything else.
19. Never try to be better than someone
else. This is another lesson Wooden learned
from his Dad You should never try to be
better than someone else. Always learn from
others and never cease trying to be the best
you can be. Thats under your control. If
you get too engrossed and involved and
concerned in regard to things over which you
have no control, it will adversely affect the
things over which you have control.
20. Patience is a part of progress. Success
comes slowly. Expect change to happen
slowly and to have patience along the way.
Wooden said, Whatever youre doing, you
must have patience and there is no
progress without change, so you must have
patience.
21. The score is a by-product. The score is
hopefully a by-product of doing the right
things. Dont focus on the score, focus on
what youre doing and give your best.
Wooden said, I wanted the score of a game
to be a by-product of these other things, and
not the end itself.
 22. The best player is the one who gets
closest to reaching their full potential.
According to Wooden, whoever gets the
closest to reaching their full potential is the
best player.
23. Success is peace of mind. Wooden
had a simple measure of success peace of
mind. According to Wooden, Success is
peace of mind which is a direct result of self-
satisfaction in knowing you did your best to
become the best that you are capable of
becoming.
24. Lead by example. Wooden said that way
back, during his early years of teaching, a
specific saying made a great impression on
him No written word, no spoken plea, can
teach our youth what they should be, nor all
the books on all the shelves, its what the
teachers are themselves.
25. Youre part of a team. Wooden truly
believed that the sum of the whole is more
than the parts. Wooden would say, A player
who makes a team great is more valuable
than a great player.
26. Bible verses about Reputation
(From Forerunner Commentary)
People often associate a reputation (or a good
name) as a top priority for which we should strive.
In fact, our reputations should be important to us,
especially as they relate to our fellow man and, of
course, to God. However, as we see in many cases,
reputations are often more manufactured than
real. This leaves us wondering, "Is a good
reputation all there is to the equation, or is there
more to it?"
Webster's New World Dictionary defines reputation
as "the estimation in which a person or thing is
commonly held, whether favorable or not; its
character in view of the public, community, etc."
What is unfortunate about some people's limited
conception of reputation is what we often see and
believe about someone may or may not be
"totally" who that person is. This is especially true
for those to whom we have limited exposure or
those who are good at hiding the "real person"
behind a facade of deception, a trait evident in
many circles (politics, business, religion) today.
The philosopher Elbert Hubbard probably put it in
the most succinct way when we regard reputation
only on its own merits: "Many a man's reputation
would not know his character if they met on the
street." This is especially true with people of
renown (politicians, actors, athletes) whose
reputations are often skewed by the media or
others, often leaving an impression that may or
may not be who or what that person actually is. As
Hubbard reveals, the real defining aspect,
character, must be defined in his reputation to get
a real picture of who and what a person is, not
only as he appears.
Staff
Our Reputation, Our Character

Exodus 20:16
"You shall not bear false witness against your
neighbor" has very far-reaching spiritual
applications. Bear means "to spread, carry, render,
or give." At first glance, the commandment
appears to involve only lying in a court of law, and
this might be true if the words in the
commandment were to be taken only at face
value. Jesus clearly shows that there is a "spirit,"
an intent, to God's laws in addition to the letter
that carries their application far beyond mere face-
value judgments.
Many scriptures show that the commandment
covers lying under any circumstance, including
hypocrisy and self-deception. That is, it covers any
wrongful word or example that would tend to
injure. The ninth commandment is in a similar
position in man's relationship to other men as
thethird commandment is in man's relationship
to God. This commandment directly
involvesfaithfulness and loyalty in our speech and
in our witness for God before men.
Proverbs 22:1 says, "A good name is to be chosen
rather than great riches, loving favor rather than
silver and gold." The Soncino
Commentary remarks that a person's good
reputation, his name, is his most valuable asset.
Indeed, the Bible shows that God guards and
protects Hisname very jealously. This is because
His name represents what He is.
So it is with us. But why do so many lie, sowing
the seeds for the destruction of their reputation? It
is the desire for the approval of others that leads
them to twist a story or to deliberately exaggerate
or diminish their parts in it in the retelling.
When we hear a name, images of that person and
what he or she is immediately spring to mind.
What we are and how others perceive us has
everything to do with what we believe and
practice. So, is what we believe and practice true?
If we want to have a good name (reputation) in
the eyes of both God and man, we, too, have to
recognize truthwherever and whenever it arises
in daily lifeunderstand it, and submit to it. This
process produces faithfulness.
This is where truth in a person's witness begins. If
truth does not form the foundation of a person's
life, he is already behind the eight-ball to some
extent. The urge to lie must be met and overcome.
At the base of this problem is a deceitful heart
(Jeremiah 17:9) that continually lays traps to
make lying an appealing course to follow. Besides
lying before men, some of us keep lying to
ourselves, and thus our name before God is not
good. Faithlessness is the result. In order to have
a good name, we, as God's children, must face up
to our vanities and quit deceiving ourselves that
God will just have to take us as we are.
We need to stop blaming our failures, problems,
and shortcomings on others, which tendency
provides us with justifications for what we are and
what we do. Within the family, Mom and Dad are
frequent targets of this. They are usually guilty to
some extent, but God puts the pressure on us to
change. Change will not occur in this way of life
until we face up to the truth that we are
responsible for what we are. We also bear much of
the responsibility of becoming what wehope to be.
Nobody can do this for us.
This is the day-to-day "stuff" on which
trustworthiness and righteous reputations are
formed. They are built on the witness of what we
do before others. God wants our reputation before
men to be built, first, on His truth and then on
truth in general. Are we honestly doing this as well
as we could be?
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Ninth Commandment

Proverbs 13:15
When a person consistently has a perception of
what is true and lives it, he gains a force of beauty
of character. In other words, faithfulness creates
favorable impressions that open doors for him.
For example, to whom would we rather loan
money, to a person with a record of steady work
and payment of debts or to one who cannot keep a
job and consistently defaults on his obligations?
Which one is more likely to get the loan? A person
of good character recognizes his responsibility
to truth, understands it, and submits to it. This
produces the witness that glorifies God.
If a person will not follow this process, he will not
have the good character and the good name to go
with it. If he recognizes and understands his
problem but does not submit to the truth, he is
deceiving himself.
This principle holds true in every area in which a
name is built, including marriage, childrearing, and
health issues. Many run from the truth about
themselves. Hardly anything will destroy a
reputation quicker than for others to know an
individual is lying to himself about what or how
much he eats, his failure to discipline his children
properly, or his careless inattention to his spouse.
Such faithlessness provides a strong foundation for
hypocrisy.
The ninth commandment not only covers bearing
false witness verbally, but also bearing false
witness about one's relationship with God by
displaying a spotty example of conduct, all the
while claiming to be Christian. To make a bad
witness in ignorance or weakness is one thing, but
to know better and deliberately mislead is another
matter altogether.
Why do we lie? Often, it is to cover up our
irresponsibility. We fear that something about
ourselves we wish to keep hidden will be exposed,
so we lie to protect the image we want others to
see. We also lie to rise above our feelings of
inadequacy or inferiority. We also do it to lower a
third party in the eyes of others, which, of course,
has the effect of elevating ourselves in our own
eyes and, we hope, in the eyes of others.
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Ninth Commandment

Proverbs 22:1
On this verse, the Jewish commentary, Soncino,
says that a person's good reputation, his name, is
his most valuable asset. This is because of the
integrity it took to produce it and the benefits it
provides for one after he has it.
The Bible shows that God jealously guards His
name and acts to ensure that it remains
untarnished. His name represents what He is, and
so it is with us as well. When we hear a name,
images of what that person is immediately come to
mind. In our mind's eye, we might recall a person
as tall or short, male or female, learned or
ignorant, black or white, angry or passive,
beautiful or plain, vocal or quiet, honest or lying,
responsible or irresponsible. Many character traits
may flash through our minds in a moment or two.
The same happens to others as they think of us.
What we project to others has everything to do
with what we believe and practice. What kind of
witness are we giving? Is what we believe and
practice as true as God's Word?
Thus, if we want to have a good name in the eyes
of God and man, we have to recognize truth,
understand it and make it a part of us by
submitting to it. This is where truth in a person's
witness begins. If truth does not form the
foundation of a person's life, the witness will
reflect it.
Mankindfrom Adam onhas been unwilling to do
this. God says our "heart is deceitful above all
things and [incurably sick (NKJV margin)]"
(Jeremiah 17:9). We keep lying to ourselves and
others, thus our name is not good before God. It
means that to have this good name, we, as God's
regenerated children, must face our vanities and
stop deceiving ourselves that God will "just have to
take us as we are." We need to quit blaming our
failures, problems, and shortcomings on others,
providing ourselves with justification for what we
are and do.
Conduct is the "stuff" of which reputations are
formed. Good conduct has truth at its foundation
and integrity as its constant companion. From
these two, a witness is produced. God wants our
reputation before men to be built on His truth. Are
we honestly doing this?
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Ninth Commandment (1997)

Proverbs 22:1
The word "name" translates from the Hebrew
word sheem, which designates something as a
mark or memorial of individuality, and by
implication, honor, authority, or character. The King
James Version (KJV) also translates it into "fame,"
"famous," "infamous," "named," "renown," and
"report."
From this verse, we see that a good name (a
combination of reputation and character) certainly
should outweigh riches, prominence, position, and
status. Conversely, a lack in either can leave us in
a state of moral and/or spiritual poverty, seeking
self-worth over godly worth.
An example of this can be seen in those who strive
for political office or a promotion. They attempt to
leave an impression of character with the public or
a boss, but it is an impression built on a shaky
foundation of duplicity. While they may have a
"good" reputation, it is not supported by the real
important ingredient, character, which is earned
throughout our lives.
A starkly contrasting example of this is that
of Jesus Christ as a man: "[He] made Himself of
no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant,
and coming in the likeness of men" (Philippians
2:7). ChristGod Himselfhumbled Himself,
surrendering His right to a godly reputation, yet
still left the legacy of righteous character and
reputation as a human.
Ecclesiastes 7:1-8 gives another example of a
good name, this time compared to that of fine
ointment and life and death. The chapter starts
with "A good name is better than precious
ointment," but goes on to say "the day of death [is
better] than the day of one's birth." Ointment, in
this case, symbolizes a richness or excellence that
is added to a person's state, or it may represent
anointing oil used to set a person or thing apart as
different or special. Verse 8 concludes, "The end of
a thing is better than its beginning, and the patient
in spirit is better than the proud in spirit."
In human terms, we know at birth we are a clean
slatewe have no knowledge,
understanding,wisdom, reputation, or character.
Only at death, after lifelong endeavor, do we have
the total life experiences to establish a good or bad
name and reputation, and this occurs because of
the character we have gained or failed to gain in
the process.
For those who truly desire it, a good reputation
and godly character is built patiently and not
through devious or self-aggrandizing means. Based
on this, reputation or a perceived good name is
simply not enough without the character to
accompany it.
Staff
Our Reputation, Our Character

Proverbs 22:1
All members of God's church have inherited a
Family name far more valuable than any surname.
We have an awesome responsibility to uphold and
honor the nobility and dignity of the name ofGod.
The reputation we create for our church, our
businesses, or our institutions is the legacy we
pass on to our brothers and sisters and our
children.
David F. Maas
What's in a Name Anyway?

Proverbs 22:1
A good reputation, based upon what a person is in
his dealings with others, is certainly of greater
worth in God's eyes than wealth.
John W. Ritenbaugh
How to Know We Love Christ

Proverbs 26:18-19
These two verses begin a section largely devoted
to illustrating the fruits of lying. They might be
better translated as, "A man who deceives his
neighbor and disguises his deception as a joke is
as dangerous as a madman shooting arrows at a
crowd. Someone will surely get hurt." Lying is
never a joke, and someone always gets hurt, even
though it may not be immediately apparent. Lying
is sin and sin brings death. Do we believe this in
the actual practice of life? Though the lie, when
discovered, may cause laughter, a reputation has
been stained and trust diminishes.
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Ninth Commandment

Ecclesiastes 7:1
Why is the day of death better? At birth, a person
is largely a blank slate - his reputation is nothing
(apart from his connection with Mom and Dad), so
his name is little more than a mere label. However,
at his death he has built either a good reputation
or a bad one.
David F. Maas
What's in a Name Anyway?

Ecclesiastes 10:1
It takes years for a reputation to be built up, but
seemingly only a few minutes to destroy it. There
are ample warnings in Scripture that if we
appropriate God's Family name, and then by our
behavior show our contempt for it, our names will
be blotted out of the Book of Life (Exodus
32:33). Proverbs 10:7 teaches, "The memory of
the righteous is blessed, but the name of the
wicked will rot." Conversely, "He who overcomes
shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not
blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will
confess his name before My Father and before His
angels" (Revelation 3:5).
David F. Maas
What's in a Name Anyway?

Isaiah 43:6-7
We who bear the name of God are witnesses that
our God is God. What do our lives declare about
God? If we who bear His name fail to live up to
that name's reputation, we break the third
commandment and profane the name of God. We
hallow or profane God's name by our conduct, no
matter what member of our body errs. This
commandment tests the quality of our witness. It
changes hypocrisy from merely "bearing false
witness" to idolatry, for which God holds the
offender guilty, for He sees what men may miss in
judgment.
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Third Commandment (1997)

Amos 6:7-8
Here God exposes the root cause of Israel's
problems: Pride brought forth their self-pleasing
religion, their overconfidence in their strength and
their self-indulgent lifestyles. Where were their
trust and faith in God? Pride causes people to
resist and reject Him.
God saw this unwarranted pride most acutely in
Israel's leadership. Most of this chapter is aimed
directly at the leaders, upon whose conduct the
nation's destiny is largely dependent. God shows in
the Bible that the leader of any institutionnation,
church, business, familycan make or break it. If
a leader because of righteousness comes under
the blessing of God, then the people are also
blessed. But if the leader is cursed by God because
of his wickedness, his people likewise come under
the curse.
When Judah had a good and righteous king
like Josiah (I Chronicles 34-35), the nation
prospered, but under evil Manasseh (I Chronicles
33), the nation declined. In this century, England
experienced a year of turmoil in 1936 over the
determination of Edward VIII to marry the
American divorce Wallis Simpson. Yet, his brother,
George VI, refusing to leave London during World
War II, rallied the nation during its darkest hour.
This principle of leadership holds true in any
enterprise from large to small.
We can also see this in the second commandment:
"You shall not bow down to them nor serve them.
For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God,
visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children"
(Exodus 20:5). The fathersthe leadersand the
children both suffer. When the fathers are blessed
or cursed by God, so are the children. The
difference is only in the measure of responsibility
that each bears.
In life, everyone is a leader as well as a follower,
depending on the circumstance. Amos shows that
a leader should never be complacent and content
with the way things are because pride followsand
shortly after it, a fall (Proverbs 16:18). Leaders of
nations bear a great responsibility because, if they
allow morals to collapse, all their military prowess
and vaunted technology will not save them. Above
all else, the first consideration of a leader is to be
moral.
But the Israelite leaders of Amos' day were people
who first considered their own reputation and
condition. They compared themselves with others
instead of God (II Corinthians 10:12). In ignoring
their spiritual health, they could neither lead and
guide the nation, nor help and counsel others.
Since they had failed so horribly in their duty, God
says the leadership would be among the first to be
led away as captives.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Prepare to Meet Your God! (The Book of Amos)
(Part Two)

Matthew 5:16
A Christian's righteous life, pleasant attitude, and
good works, including pure conversation and
faithful obedience, should not be hidden but be
seen and known. We can give no light until we
have received the grace of God and the
enlightenment that comes through the Holy Spirit.
Our lives must produce the fruit of the Spirit,
reflecting the shining example of Jesus Christ.
Humbly, in all communities, in all business, at
home and abroad, in prosperity and adversity, it
should be clear that we adhere to God's way of
life. Letting our examples shine requires that we
resist the influence of the world. We cannot have a
light that shines and at the same time live as the
world does with its lust of the flesh, lust of the
eyes, and pride of life (I John 2:16-17).
Martin G. Collins
Parable of the Light

Matthew 10:34-39
Evaluate yourself against these pressures:
Peer Pressure
Teens tend to be idealistic, and this is good. They
often resolve to be serious, "hit the books" and
spurn the drugs, sex, smoking, drinking and
"hanging out" that they have seen others doing.
But if the "right" fellow or girl appears, or if the
teen is recognized by the "right" clique, his desire
to be accepted by them pressures him to adjust
his ideals to conform to them. His ideals or
convictions are merely preferences.
A minister may search the Bible for truth and find
something interesting that he believes and
resolves to do and teach. When he tells his fellow
ministers about what he has found, they may say
to him, "I don't say you're wrong in this, but don't
you think you should tone it down a bit? Make it
less offensive, and then maybe we can cooperate
with you and work on some of your objectives."
At first he may strongly defend his belief, but little
by little, as he sees the reaction of his peers, he
may begin to bend. He believes it and resolves to
do it, but if he changes, his belief is a preference.
If the Word of God tells us to change something,
we must change it! But we must be very
carefulabout things previously proved from God's
Word, believed, put into practice and then changed
when some form of pressure is brought to bear!
Family Pressure
This is perhaps the strongest pressure.
When Jesus advises His disciples about counting
the cost of commitment to Him, every person He
mentions is a family member. "If anyone comes to
Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife
and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his
own life also, he cannot be My disciple" (Luke
14:26).
Usually no one can motivate you like a deeply
loved mate. A husband may resolve to commit
himself to a strong belief, but on telling his wife,
she replies, "Please don't, honey. Do you realize
what this will do to us and our family?" His resolve
begins to melt because he knows he will feel
responsible if, because of his belief, he inflicts
discomfort or pain on an innocent bystander.
Fear of Lawsuits
Living in perhaps the most litigious society ever on
the face of the earth, we are aware of the expense
and hassle of going to court, even for the innocent.
We may say, "I'm all for this, but I'm not going to
get sued over it! You can't ask me to be sued
that's going too far! The news media will make me
out to be a villain. They'll publicly hang me! At the
very least I'll lose my hard-earned reputation,
maybe my job and all my property because of
attorney and court costs." This daunting pressure
causes many to change their beliefs.
Jail
You may have never really been in a jail, but they
are not pleasant places. Most prisoners want to get
out as quickly as they can. In fact, some will risk
life and limb to escape, knowing they will probably
be unsuccessful. If they do make it out, they will
most likely be apprehended and returned to
"serve" even longer sentences. Jail is very
damaging to a person's liberty and reputation.
Most people who go to jails never get past the
visitor's area. I have been into the deepest bowels
of several maximum security prisons to visit
violent inmates on death row. They are horrible
places.
In contemplating what it would be like to be in
prison, remember that virtually every move an
inmate makes is programmed by his captors. You
would be isolated from your dearest family
members and friends. You are told when to get up,
when to eat, when to exercise, when you can read,
watch TV, bathe or shower, and occasionally even
when you can talk, go to the bathroom or sleep.
Additionally, the people around you have made a
living of not playing by the rules. You would be
stuck on their turf. Some are quite violent. It is a
crazy, frightening environment for one accustomed
to the comforts and control of home.
Would you really be willing to go to jail for
your faith? Even when no one seems to
understand why you would do such a thing? Would
the pressure of facing jail make you change your
beliefs? If so, your beliefs are preferences.
Maybe some of you men are saying to yourself,
"Yes, I'd go to jail." But would you be willing to
stand by and watch your wife go to jail? Some
have faced that. Would you then pressure her to
change her mind?
Do your beliefs mean so much to you that both
you and your wife would go to jail, knowing your
children would be taken by the state and raised by
foster parents you do not even know?
The Pressure of Death
This final test is obvious, yet some have learned
through experience that there is a fate worse than
death. When a person's resolve over a belief fails,
his guilt can be crushing. Luke 22:34, 59-62 shows
Peter in such a circumstance.
Do you see the common factor in these? What
does your belief mean to YOU? What are you
willing to sacrifice in exercising your belief? If you
feel you should do something but have the right
not to do it, it is merely a preference.
A belief that is God-ordered is a conviction. It is
not merely a matter of resolve or dedication, but a
matter of believing with all our heart that God
requires it of us. If we hold our beliefs as God-
ordered, we will withstand all the above tests.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Are Your Beliefs Preferences or Convictions?

Matthew 28:19-20
The third commandment involves the quality of
our personal witness of everything God's name
implies. His name represents His position as
Creator, Lifegiver, Provider, Ruler, and Sustainer, as
well as His character, power, and promises.
As Matthew 28:19-20 shows, "God" became our
spiritual Family name upon regeneration by His
Spirit, and thus we have a responsibility to grow
and uphold that name's reputation by bringing
honor upon it by our words, deeds, and attitudes.
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Fourth Commandment (Part One) (1997)

Matthew 28:19-20
The word "in" is better translated "into."
At baptism, we are immersed into the name of the
Father. We now bear that name and all it implies!
As sons of God, we bear our Father's name. "God"
is our spiritual family name!
Are we living up to it? Are we "walking" as God
would walk were He living our lives so we do not
tarnish the reputation of His name? The third
commandment concerns the quality of our
personal witness in everything that name we bear
represents, as it applies to humans.
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Third Commandment (1997)

Acts 6:1-3
It is not without validity that most of our
impressions or beliefs about our family, close
friends, and acquaintances automatically involve
knowledge about their character as a part of their
reputation. Obviously, our interactions give us
insight to these people's characters and
reputations, whether our perceptions are true or
false. Those who know us best will see any growth
of character or lack of it. Even so, some can have
blind spots in relation to a particular person (for
instance, a mother may ignore her son's flaws), or
the person may have a talent for concealing their
shortcomings, even from those closest to them.
We see a positive side of this in Acts 6:1-3, where
the apostles tell the church to choose seven men
to become deacons. One of the criteria was that
these men were to be "of good reputation," which
translates from the Greek word martureo, meaning
"to be a witness, that is, to testify (literally or
figuratively)." The KJV also renders martureo as
"give [evidence]," "bear record," "obtain a good
honest report," "be well reported of."
These men were to show evidence of God's
Spirit and wisdom in their lives, a combination of a
good name as well as growth in character. It is
interesting that, because they knew them best, the
people were to select these men according to their
character.
Staff
Our Reputation, Our Character

1 Corinthians 13:7
Do we love the brethren enough to bear with
them? By using the word stego (meaning "cover,
conceal, protect"), Paul means that it is an act of
godly love when we keep silent about unfavorable
matters; when we restrain ourselves from talking
about somebody else's sin; when we delay
judgment and keep our brother's reputation in
tact; when we keep a sin or a fault "hush, hush"
between us and the walls, as it were, so the
person has time to repent and to recover from it.
We need to be careful not to let any of our
brothers' sins become a source of mockery toward
the church because we "let the cat out of the bag"
and gossiped.
There are peoples' sins and faults that we should
take with us to the grave, as Paul says about the
man in Corinth: "These things shouldn't even be
talked about. Shut up. Keep it to yourself. Cover
that person's sin in love." Love covers a multitude
of sins (I Peter 4:8). Do we love our brother
enough to give him a chance to repent? God does.
Why can't we?
Such a rush to condemnation causes the church to
fly apart! Rather than have the forbearance to
allow our brethren to repent, we just want to kick
them out, and as quickly as possible. Or, we want
to shun them, saying, "Go to some other group.
We can't stand you anymore." Why can we not be
a little bit more forbearing, as God is? He takes the
time to let these matters work out. We need to
show a little bit of love, as Paul advises, "Let
brotherly love continue" (Hebrews 13:1).
Richard T. Ritenbaugh
Forbearance

2 Corinthians 11:2
Jealousy has a well-deserved bad reputation
because it is essentially self-centered. However, it
has a positive aspect when the affection and
passion that it contains are directed at upholding
the well-deserved reputation of the one who is
loved.
The third commandment bears directly on this
subject. It is a command that is easily and
carelessly broken unless we are continually
conscious of our responsibility to bring honor upon
the name of God, which we will do if we love Him.
We will be jealous to uphold the reputation of His
name.
John W. Ritenbaugh
How to Know We Love Christ

Cash or Character?

Not too long ago, I was asked to give a talk

about organizational culture and why it matters. Before
I walked up to the podium, one of the attendees cornered
me. He wanted me to know his strongly-held position. In
an emphatic tone, he nearly shouted:

Skip, cash matters, not culture, not character,

not creativity! Cash is the only thing you can spend.

How fortunate that my slides started with financials so I

could demonstrate the power of culture change. But, what
I wish I had was the book that crossed my desk a few
weeks ago: Return on Character: The Real Reasons
Leaders and Their Companies Win. In the most
comprehensive study of its kind, Fred Kiel reveals the
research that proves that good character wins. We
discussed his findings at length and I know many
organizational leaders will want to study the results.
Studying CEOs

Tell us just briefly about your study and its

methodology. Where did you get the idea,
how many CEOs were involved, etc.?

In 2005 I and my co-author, Doug

Lennick, published a book entitledMoral Intelligence in
which we claimed that highly principled leaders obtained
better long-term business results than leaders who were
not so principled. The book has done very well, but shortly
after it was published we received some pushback. One
person said, Fred, I know you like all of this soft stuff.
But let me give you a little lesson in economics. The
business model is what creates value. If a business is
profitable and makes a lot of money, all that culture stuff
will come along with it. And if it doesnt, thats not a big
deal as long as management stays legal. What you talk
about is just icing on the cake. Its nice but not necessary.
And, besides you dont have any hard data to back up your
claim.

This really got to me. He was right about me not having

any data to back up our claim that character matters and
that became the call to action for our study.

Over the next seven years we signed up 121 CEOs and their
senior teams to participate. Eighty-four completed the
study, so we have complete data sets on these 84 CEOs,
their senior teams, and their organizations. Over 8,500
randomly selected employees completed our surveys about
these CEOs and their teams. We have nearly one million
separate data points in our research base. This is the
largest study of this kind to date.

4 Universal Character Habits

How do you define character in the Return on

Character (ROC) matrix?

We scoured the cultural anthropology research and

discovered that humans all over the world share many
common practices and beliefs. Parents all over the world
teach their children to tell the truth, keep promises, own
up to mistakes, forgive others, and to care for people at
least in their tribe. We added to this understanding the
recent findings from the neurosciences and genetics to
come up with our definition of character as it applies to
leaders.

The ROC Matrix shows the four universal principles and

the character habits that are aligned with these principles.
 Cop
yright Fred Kiel; Used by Permission

Lincoln said, Character is the tree. Reputation is its

shadow. Likewise, the habits we all have for how we treat
other people is our character reputation. Thats what we
measured in our research a leaders reputation for how
he or she treats people.
Probing the Leaders Childhood

In several places in the book, you delve into

the CEOs childhood and upbringing. Why?
What did you find? Why is the CEOs life
story so important?

If you took the resumes and employment histories of

high character CEOs and compared them to low character
CEOs, youd be hard pressed to see much difference. Both
groups are competitive, driven to succeed, rational, high
energy, and often wicked smart they know how to
command a room and nail an interview.

Where we started to see significant differences was when

we surveyed their employees and asked about their
behaviors around the 4 universal character habits
integrity, responsibility, forgiveness and compassion. So
that begs the question how did each group come by their
different postures around these habits? Where did they get
their beliefs about how the world worked and how to
succeed in that world?

Turns out the clues are in their childhoods and upbringing.

We found that high character CEOs had advantages that

the low character CEOs didnt they were born into
homes with more functional parents, or they were lucky
enough to have extended family who were more engaged
with them than lower character leaders. Also high
character CEOs seemed to attract the attention of teachers,
coaches and mentors who guided and nurtured them. Of
course you could ask, which was the chicken and which
was the egg did these adults engage with them more
because they were the kinds of adults who sensed kids who
needed help or was there something inherently different
about these CEOs that attracted mentors? I dont think
theres any way we can answer that we can just observe
that high character CEOs had more supportive parents,
adults and more mentors than their lower-character
counterparts.

Take the Character Reputation Predictorto see

your Character Reputation by clicking here.

Okay so you might say, so what? They had it easier.

How does that translate into higher character?

The answer lies in the lessons these supportive adults

provided knowingly or not. Nurturing parents, teachers,
coaches and mentors all find ways to encourage kids to
reflect and learn from their behavior. You stole the
bubblegum from the store? You march right back and
return it and accept the consequences the shopkeeper
metes out. You saw the new kid getting bullied on the
playground? You stand up for her and help her out. You
dropped the ball on the 1 yard line? You show your team
you will do better next time and run drills until you
collapse.

Through our research, we have come to understand that

these supportive adults helped the high character CEOs
learn how to reflect and create coherence around their
experiences and stories to be able to tell a coherent life
story and find meaning from it that provided guidance for
their decisions and behaviors.

And the best news is that if that kind of examination,

reflection and learning can be done in childhood and
adolescence, it can be done at any time in life. Its the
surest path to developing stronger character habits.

A leaders childhood holds the clues to on the job

performance.

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Measuring the Consistency of Character Habits

Whats a virtuoso CEO? Contrast that with a

self-focused leader. What are the main,
observable differences?

The CEOs in our study obtained character scores ranging

from a low of 58 to a high of 92 on a 100 point scale.
Copyright Fred Kiel ; Used by Permission
We chose to study the CEOs and their teams at the two
extremes. The ten CEOs and teams with the highest
character scores we labeled as Virtuoso. These CEOs and
their teams created nearly five times more bottom line
Return on Assets (ROA), enjoyed a workforce engagement
score 26% higher and had much lower levels of corporate
risk than did the ten CEOs at the bottom of the scale who
we labeled Self-Focused.
Copyright Fred Kiel; Used by Permission
But this is the research definition of Virtuoso and Self-
Focused. The way to spot Virtuoso leaders is from the
strength and consistency of their character habits. You can
trust that they tell the truth, keep promises, own their
mistakes, are curious about others mistakes (arent
blaming but are asking questions) yet are hard-nosed
about performance. They might not know the first names
of 50k people in a large organization, but they
demonstrates their caring in other ways through
professional development efforts, offering living wages and
other ways that show they believe the people in their
workforce are not a number but are respected, cared for
and treated openly and honestly.

Contrast that with Self-Focused leaders who are primarily

focused on their own success and who see the workforce as
a means to an end. The name says it all really they are
self-focused rather than other-focused.

Ill never forget when I went to the office of one of the

lowest ranked CEOs in our study and lost track of time in
the waiting room counting how many photos and trophies
he had on display. Contrast that to Jim Sinegal whose desk
was in the corner of a low-budget office space.

Spot a leader from the consistency of their

character habits.

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Focus on Whats Right

As a CEO, I am pained when I read negative,

stereotypical articles about a CEO making
major ethical missteps, using corporate funds
to buy golden shower curtains and the like.
Its rare to see the positive story of a
corporate leader who wants to contribute
and give back. Your research indicates that
CEO character does have another side.
Would you share more about this?
 All of our Virtuoso CEOs were
people who were primarily motivated first to succeed and
achieve bottom line results, but what distinguished them
from the Self-Focused CEOs was their positive view of
human nature they believed that people like to be
challenged, treated with respect, like honest and accurate
feedback and that they all want to be engaged in a business
that is both successful and does some kind of good. None
of the Virtuoso CEOs were overtly concerned about their
personal financial success or career progression. Of
course, they were all very successful on both counts
personal financial gain and career success but that was
the result not the focus.

Virtuoso leaders illustrate that success comes from

focusing on whats right about the world around them,
and this causes them to approach people and challenges
fundamentally differently than more fear-based, Self-
Focused leaders.
Open-ended comments from the employees of the
Virtuoso CEOs were very inspiring. I found myself
thinking as I read these that if I had been recruited by such
a CEO earlier in my career, I would have gone to work for
them in a heartbeat. People love going to work for these
CEOs and their teams. The work environments created by
the Virtuoso CEOs and their teams are high energy,
positive and supportive as well as demanding and
performance focused.

And, Wall Street loves them as well. Consider Jim Sinegal

at Costco, one of the Virtuoso CEOs. If you had invested
$1,000 in Costco when it went public in the 1980s, your
investment would have had a compound return of 16.5%
and would be worth nearly $60,000 today.

Virtuoso leaders focus on whats right about the

world.

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Boards and Leadership Recruiters, Take Note:

From your research, are there

characteristics, interview questions, or
background information that you would
suggest learning about potential CEO
candidates beyond what is typically asked?

We are convinced that the best screening tool for assessing

potential CEO candidates is to conduct a scientifically
valid survey of the candidates character reputation. The
people in the candidates life who know them well are the
source for this information. We call this tapping the
wisdom of the crowd to assess the individuals character
reputation.

Of course, each person asked to complete the survey must

be confident that the ratings they submit will be truly
anonymous. When twenty people who know the candidate
weigh in and rate the specific twenty five character habits
weve isolated by our research, you will have a crystal clear
understanding of the individuals foundation of character
upon which all of his or her other skills rest.

Such a survey allows us to compute the individuals

Virtuoso Similarity Index Score.
 Copyright Fred Kiel; Used by Permission

As Warren Buffett said, Somebody once said that in

looking for people to hire, you look for three qualities:
integrity, intelligence, and energy. And if you dont have
the first, the other two will kill you. You think about it; its
true. If you hire somebody without [integrity], you really
want them to be dumb and lazy.

Leaders with all 4 character habits provide a 5x

return.

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Did any of your research findings surprise
you?

Until we did this research, we were victims of the bad idea

that is embedded in the mentality of nearly everyone in the
business world. And this bad idea is that it is the hard-
nosed, take-no-prisoners, kind of leader that delivers the
most value. As long as the leader stays legal and is honest
(integrity) the belief is that this is all that matters. For that
leader to learn to own up to his or her mistakes
(responsibility), to be curious when someone makes a
mistake instead of blaming (forgiveness) and to show a
personal commitment to peoples personal development
and growth (compassion) is just fluff and not really
necessary. Its icing on the cake. Boy, were we wrong
about that.

We found that integrity alone doesnt carry the freight. All

four of the character habits must be in place to get the 5x
return, the 26% gain in workforce engagement level, and
to reduce the risk profile. Think about it: Someone with
high integrity but low responsibility, forgiveness and
compassion scores would probably spend all their time
micro-managing and would fail to engage the workforce to
execute. Integrity isnt enough, and neither are any of the
other three traits on their own. You need all four to achieve
Virtuosity.

Millennials and Character

You end the book with a nod to the next

generation. What is your hope for the
millennial generation?

The millennial generation will occupy all major leadership

roles in business, government, and non-profits within ten
to fifteen years. The millennials seem to be openly vocal
about wanting businesses to focus on more than just
pleasing investors. They appear to view a successful
business as one that serves all stakeholders, not just the
investor. The early signs are that this is a generation that
is much more focused on the common good of all
humanity than the current generation of leaders. So, not
just concerned with the Return On Character, but more a
Return To Character.

This generation has grown up in a world of internet

connectivity the typical millennial has, according to a
study by the Pew Research Foundation, 250 Facebook
friends and they are spread across the globe. Perhaps
because of this, the millennial generation appears to
embrace an identify with all humans, rather than an us vs.
them mentality that seems to be the root cause of so much
pain and destruction, both in financial terms and in terms
of human suffering.

Im putting my money on this generation.

For the Record: The good character requirement

Print Version
In light of the recent media coverage surrounding
the Law Society's appeal panel decision Law
Society of Upper Canada v. James Maurice Melnick,
2013 ONLSAP 0027, the Law Society wishes to
clarify its licensing requirements.
Good character requirements form the basis of a
licensing hearing and are part of the Law Society's
mandate to protect the public, to maintain high
ethical standards, to maintain public confidence in
the legal profession and its ability to regulate itself,
and to deal fairly with persons whose livelihood
and reputation are affected.
Under section 27(2) of the Law Society Act and
section 8(1) of By-Law 4, a recipient of a lawyer or
paralegal licence is required to be of good
character. As a result, the Law Society requires all
licensing applicants to disclose, among other
things criminal convictions, whether they have
been subject to a penalty imposed by a court,
administrative tribunal or regulatory body, or
whether there are other matters in their past or
present circumstances that may place their
character at issue.
Where there are concerns about a licensing
applicant's good character, the Law Society will
investigate and where appropriate, a licensing
hearing is held to ensure that the public is
protected.
The hearing panel is typically composed of a
lawyer, a paralegal and a lay person. The purpose
of the hearing is to put the facts pertaining to
character before the hearing panel so that it can
decide if the applicant is presently of good
character. The hearing is held in public, and both
the applicant and the Law Society may call
evidence and make submissions.
A hearing panel is concerned with the "present"
and an applicant's ability to establish that he/she is
presently of good character, recognizing that
applicants can rehabilitate. A criminal conviction is
not an absolute bar to holding a lawyer or
paralegal licence.
Rehabilitation is a core principle of the judicial
system - one that is mirrored in the Law Society's
discipline process.
Section 49.28 of the Law Society Act allows
applicants to appeal a hearing panel's decision. In
this case, the applicant appealed the hearing
panel's 2012 decision.
The Appeal Panel's decision in the matter of Law
Society of Upper Canada v. James Maurice Melnick,
2013 ONLSAP 0027, is set out in the Reasons for
Decision, available on CanLII.
Establishing National Good Character
Standards
The Federation of Law Societies of Canada is
undertaking a major initiative on behalf of law
societies to develop national standards for
admission to the legal profession. The development
and implementation of a common standard for
ensuring that applicants meet the requirement to
be of good character, including the identification of
appropriate methods for assessing whether
applicants meet the standards, is a major part of
that work.
A working group of policy and credentialing staff
from law societies across Canada has been tasked
with developing a standard for approval by the
Federation Council and consideration and adoption
by the law societies.
The working group has prepared a consultation
report to solicit input on the issues it has
considered and its preliminary views on the
content of the good character/suitability to practise
standard. It is available on the Federation's
website.
Comments received until November 30, 2013, from
law societies, interested groups and individuals will
be considered in the development of a national
suitability to practice/good character standard for
consideration and adoption by law societies across
the country.