Sure, there are plenty of Wildcatters that would aptly be described as characters. Some of them even cross the line to becoming caricatures. But a far more important topic than Wildcatter characters is the character of a Wildcatter.
Wildcatter Musings on Character in the Business World:
An oft repeated, yet brilliantly simple, summary of character is…doing what’s right when nobody is looking.
Everyone is best of friends when things are going well, however you really get to know a person’s true character when things go bad. Unfortunately, in the business world, this opportunity presents itself all too often.
Golf pro Percy Boomer was quoted as saying “If you wish to hide your character, do not play golf.” Although quite true, a more telling statement might be “If you want to hide your character, do not get in the business world.”
A person’s character is not dictated by isolated events; a person’s true character is the summation of all of his actions. Your “body of work” tells your story so, remember, there are no small decisions when it comes to character.
Business deals never happen in a vacuum. The decisions you make not only affect the project at hand, but those decisions will have a huge impact on your future dealings. Make sure you conduct yourself in a manner that assures your reputation for the next deal.
Laws. Rules. Contracts. Agreements. Codes. Regulations. Ordinances. These are all very important, yet have nothing to do with character and integrity. As Albert Camus said: “Integrity has no need of rules.”
“Character isn’t something you were born with and can’t change, like your fingerprints. It’s something you weren’t born with and must take responsibility for forming.”
– Jim Rohn
It’s your character…you better own it!!