In this election year, I have read several books written by former Presidents of the United States. Their books give some insight into their leadership style and personal path to the greatest title in all the world, President of The United States of America.  Their reflections, and tiny moments revealed in the biographies and autobiographies, can reveal so much about their character and temperament.

In the book, “41, A PORTRAIT OF MY FATHER” by George W. Bush, we see the President through a very unique lens, his son’s.  George W. Bush and his father George H.W. Bush both served our great country as President of the United States, just as John Adams and his son, John Quincy Adams, did nearly 200 years prior.

The one sentence in the book that spurred this blog and my personal evaluation was, “Crisis has a way of revealing character.” WOW, so true.  I quickly think of a few personal crisis situations and ask – how did I respond?  What character did I show when the mass exodus of revenue stream occurred, when conflict arose between two siblings, or when a business partner admitted an addiction?  What was my reaction?   Did I respond in a way that aligned with my character?  What would my legacy be, if those moments were what defined me? In an honest reflection, I made mistakes in my responses and sometimes I allowed emotion to override character.

What does your character reveal about you when crisis occurs?

Do you panic?  Do you run to everyone else to solve the problem? Are you proud and unforgiving?  Do you problem solve or problem state?  Do you make problems worse or better?  Do you make knee jerk reactions and comments that require asking for forgiveness later? Or do you take a minute to jot down your initial thoughts, reflect, and then act in reverence and calmness, as Vice President Bush did when President Reagan was shot?  If you don’t know the story, the Vice President made a few key decisions in very quick manner that calmed the nation and showed loyalty to the President in a very intense time.

Republican or Democrat, man or woman, black or white – crisis reveals character.

With so many newsworthy events revealing character, do you ever ask yourself how you would respond if your child was unfairly harmed?  How would you respond?  How would your character be described if your or your spouse was running for political office?  It is so easy for us to point fingers and judge, but can we be so honest with our self?  How would you be judged?

Not only do I want you to show upstanding character, but in this election year, I hope we choose a President who will show great character in crisis situations.  I pray our future President will show strength when needed, forgiveness when requested, and a calm and clear mind in crisis. God bless the USA and don’t forget to vote!