The Way | Lead | Leading for and with Character

Building Character Capital

We believe that character capital relates particularly to the value of the feelings and perceptions held by the school and wider communities about the character purpose and character strengths of a school. It is, therefore, inherently moral in nature. It externalises the shared purpose of relationships. It builds personal value in terms of the level of positive, focused energy about character and character education that leaders invest at work and in their personal life. It also internalises the alignment of hearts and heads. The value of families’ character commitments is held in the hearts of the people within a school. It can be seen in the energy and enthusiasm that people bring to support and act upon the values and character strengths of the school.building-character-capital-large

Building character capital is a key role of civic, performance and moral character leadership. We believe that character capital relates particularly to the value of the feelings and perceptions held by the school and wider communities about the character purpose and character strengths of a school. It is, therefore, inherently moral in nature. It externalises the shared purpose of relationships. It builds personal value in terms of the level of positive, focused energy about character and character education that leaders invest at work and in their personal life. It also internalises the alignment of hearts and heads. The value of families’ character commitments is held in the hearts of the people within a school. It can be seen in the energy and enthusiasm that people bring to support and act upon the values and character strengths of the school.

Let us consider now what it is that leaders of schools for character do on a conceptual level in terms of the character labor they perform and the character capital they build.

Character leadership refers to the specific character labor exercised by leaders in modelling character and developing character competency, as well as reinforcing character education through the signal matters and incidents of daily life that constitute the cultural groove of a school. Character labor refers to the deeds, words and decisions that reveal a leader’s true character and promote the character labor of others and the character capital of the school as a whole. As one leader puts it, “I believe that the primary way in which I am expected to lead is in how I conduct my own life in the presence of both the boys and my colleagues, through my words and actions. If I hope to teach character or inspire others to be their best, most ethical selves, then I must hold myself to high standards of honesty, integrity and determination.” Character education efficacy results from the will and their capacity of leaders to embed a shared commitment to ‘what we want, why we want it and how we do it’ in character education. Character leadership is associated with the theory of culturein which character education is seen to be reinforced specifically by character leadership that attends to honourable traditions, rituals, artefacts, narratives, norms, and models. As one leader has told us, “Ensure collective alignment and agreement to the College’s core beliefs and values ... A leader for character must establish the conditions in which character can be encouraged and nurtured within the school setting. They must also model the behaviours that are associated with boys being of good character."

Character capital refers to the quantum of character in a community and its relevant expressions in education, practice, apprenticeship, and leadership for this character. It is associated with the theory of everywherewhich states that character education occurs all the time in multiple sites that develop character capital across the whole school. As one leader states, “A leader of character must not only preach the value of instilling character into a community but must also model those character traits on a daily basis. Establishment of clear, benchmarked expectations of character is critical to inculcating a culture of high character within a school. The leader must ‘walk the talk’ by modelling the behaviours he or she expects from all members of a school faculty, staff, students and parents. My vision for leadership in the area of character development relies on intentional efforts made by school administrators to hold students accountable for their growth and progress along all character metrics. Students must take ownership of their development in these areas, as do the parents of the students. I’m proud of the work being done within our community to strengthen our partnership with families and building their ‘buy-in’ to the importance of character development. It is – above academic, athletics, and the arts – the most important work we do as educators.”

How might character capital exist at a whole school level? One leader tells us, “Character is the development of integrity and a strong sense of justice. It involves a willingness to understand the right and duty to stand up for those who are oppressed and to go against popular opinion at times. Self-awareness and empathy are key to character development as well as the ability to show vulnerability when needed. It involves foresight and a sound moral compass. A leader should lead by example and demonstrate servant leadership.”  

“Character work can’t happen in the absence of intentional design of school culture that aligns with what is valued within a community. The importance of culture in this process is critical. Strategising for character education is part of the process but is less than effective without daily attention to nurturing the culture that will support it. Some of the most vital ‘character work’ involves keeping the conversation going within a school community and placing it firmly as a priority."

Families want to support and to be involved with schools whose values and character they respect. This in turn creates brand value, reputation and goodwill and results in loyalty, lifetime relationships and referrals. As one leader explains, “In my professional role, I see two areas of opportunity as a ‘leader of character’. First, among the teams of adults I manage, I hope to present a figure worthy of trust and confidence that is consistent with the character traits our school aims to espouse in the young men we serve. Second, as the senior officer in our school’s external affairs teams, I have the opportunity to secure the revenue needed to insure our character education and related programs continue to grow. As to the first, I hope my colleagues would affirm that I am, within a reasonable human range of imperfection, a good, if not very good, colleague. As to the second, I am very proud our school has made character development programs a top priority, and I know we have enjoyed success in funding those initiatives.” According to another leader, the “most vital character work [is] teaching the need for honesty and the importance of respect for self and others.” Every relationship that a school has with everyone it touches, therefore, should be regarded as an asset and an investment. To build character wealth, leaders must treat their people as investors because that is what they are – intellectual, emotional and character investors. In addition, every day they need to bring their heads and hearts to their character work with students. If they do not do this work imaginatively and with commitment, outcomes for character education will be diminished. As one leader explains, “We need to learn how to interact in a healthy way ... All character work needs to engage boys in real relationships and real engagement while empowering them to develop the communication skills and compassion they need to thrive and contribute in a global society.”

Leaders may inspire or demoralise others first by how effectively they manage their own ‘character presence’ and, second, by how well they mobilise, focus and renew the collective character energy of the people they lead. One leader expressed this succinctly: “The most vital work for leaders in boys’ schools is having a plan to create the culture desired. It’s not enough to articulate a culture; it must be embodied. The adults in the building have to be the first to model the behaviour that builds the culture.” Other leaders are more specific about the importance of community engagement. One told us, “The most important work that schools can do is to get the parents on board with their character education program so that the whole community can work together for the good of the children,” while another was even more direct, saying, “getting community (student, parent and staff) buy-in is crucial."

At the same time, none of this happens as well as it might without strategic educational leadership. As one leader told us, “Character work can’t happen in the absence of intentional design of school culture that aligns with what is valued within a community. The importance of culture in this process is critical. Strategising for character education is part of the process but is less than effective without daily attention to nurturing the culture that will support it. Some of the most vital ‘character work’ involves keeping the conversation going within a school community and placing it firmly as a priority for boys’ education. It is important to ensure that the approach is entirely collaborative and inclusive. This requires enormous commitment in time and energy, but fruitful if both culture and strategy are aligned.” 

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