--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Leading with character gives the wise…" description: "\"Leading with character gives the wise leader clear-cut advantages. They are easier to trust and follow; they honor commitments and promises; their word..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f1/warren-g-bennis-3361_advantage_leading-with-character-gives-the-wise-le_2768738.jpg" --- # Leading with character gives the wise leader clear-cut… ![“Leading with character gives the wise leader clear-cut advantages. They are easier to trust and follow; they honor commitments and promises; their words and behavior match; they are always engaged in and by the world; they are open to "reflective backtalk": they can speak with conviction because…” quote by Warren G. Bennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f1/warren-g-bennis-3361_advantage_leading-with-character-gives-the-wise-le_2768738.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f1/warren-g-bennis-3361_advantage_leading-with-character-gives-the-wise-le_2768738.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f1/warren-g-bennis-3361_advantage_leading-with-character-gives-the-wise-le_2768738.jpg) > “Leading with character gives the wise leader clear-cut advantages. They are easier to trust and follow; they honor commitments and promises; their words and behavior match; they are always engaged in and by the world; they are open to "reflective backtalk": they can speak with conviction because they believe in what they are saying...and everyone else knows that. They are comfortable in their own skin. They feel at ease in the spotlight and they enjoy it there. They tend to be more receptive to opportunity and risk.” [Warren G. Bennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-g-bennis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Character‑based leadership builds trust, consistency, engagement, and openness, leading to clear advantages and confidence. **In simple terms:** Character leads to trust and advantage. Key Takeaway Lead with integrity and openness. Themes leadership character trust engagement risk opportunity Mood inspirational reflective Type leadership philosophical When to use this quote - corporate management - political leadership - team building Key Concepts ethical leadership authenticity psychology of trust Questions to Reflect On - How does character influence decision‑making? - When must you prioritize results over character? A Different Perspective May overlook situational demands for pragmatism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advantage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advantage/) [Behavior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavior/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Clear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clear/) [Comfortable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comfortable/) [Commitment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commitment/) [Conviction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conviction/) [Cutting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cutting/) [Ease](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ease/) [Easier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easier/) [Engaged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engaged/) [Enjoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enjoy/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Honor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honor/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Leader Clear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader-clear-1098033/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Leading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leading/) [Leading Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leading-character-1908872/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [Promise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/promise/) [Receptive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/receptive/) [Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk/) [Skins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skins/) [Speak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speak/) [Spotlight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spotlight/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) [Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise/) [Wise Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise-leader-326138/) [Wise leaders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise-leaders/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Success, cannot be attained alone. Any person's time and power is limited. A wise leader enlists others in working toward organizational goals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gichin-funakoshi/success-cannot-be-attained-alone-any-person-s-time-and-power-is/) [Gichin Funakoshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gichin-funakoshi/) > [ You are keeping the possibility \[of peace\] open. No wise leader would do anything less ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-ness/you-are-keeping-the-possibility-of-peace-open-no-wise-leader-would-do/) [Patrick Ness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-ness/) > [The wise leader settles for good work and then lets others have the floor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/the-wise-leader-settles-for-good-work-and-then-lets-others-have-the/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [As a good gardener prepares the soil, so a wise leader creates an environment that promotes community. ... community involves a common place, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-dreher/as-a-good-gardener-prepares-the-soil-so-a-wise-leader-creates-an/) [Diane Dreher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-dreher/) > [Any group has a sense of who it is and what is values, but this sense often remains beneath the surface. A wise leader…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-dreher/any-group-has-a-sense-of-who-it-is-and-what-is-values-but-this-sense/) [Diane Dreher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-dreher/) > [The wise leader speaks rarely and briefly. After all, no other natural outpouring goes on and on. It rains and then it stops. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-heider/the-wise-leader-speaks-rarely-and-briefly-after-all-no-other-natural/) [John Heider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-heider/) > [The leader has a clear idea of what he wants to do professionally and personally, and the strength to persist in the face of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-g-bennis/the-leader-has-a-clear-idea-of-what-he-wants-to-do-professionally-and/) [Warren G. Bennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-g-bennis/) > [Clarity is the preoccupation of the effective leader. If you do nothing else as a leader, be clear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-buckingham/clarity-is-the-preoccupation-of-the-effective-leader-if-you-do/) [Marcus Buckingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-buckingham/) > [The most valuable thing you can have as a leader is clear data.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-porat/the-most-valuable-thing-you-can-have-as-a-leader-is-clear-data/) [Ruth Porat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-porat/) > [If a leader cannot give you a clear picture of what he or she sees in the future, that person is not the leader…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/if-a-leader-cannot-give-you-a-clear-picture-of-what-he-or-she-sees-in/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [“A stupid leader is like a dog who’s in love with his own voice. He will bark incessantly believing that people admire his tune.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charbel-tadros/a-stupid-leader-is-like-a-dog-who-s-in-love-with-his-own-voice-he/) [Charbel Tadros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charbel-tadros/) > [Someone has to make the final decision, but the wise leader gathers information and seeks counsel - after deciding who among those surrounding him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-ferling/someone-has-to-make-the-final-decision-but-the-wise-leader-gathers/) [John E Ferling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-ferling/) > [“A wise leader, a past King of Wayland actually, wrote this in his personal history at the end of his very successful reign. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-wheeler/a-wise-leader-a-past-king-of-wayland-actually-wrote-this-in-his/) [Jeff Wheeler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-wheeler/) > [“The wise leader pays respectful attention to all behavior. Thus the group becomes open to more and more possibilities of behavior. People learn a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-heider/the-wise-leader-pays-respectful-attention-to-all-behavior-thus-the/) [John Heider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-heider/) > [“7. Hence in the wise leader's plans, considerations of advantage and of disadvantage will be blended together.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/7-hence-in-the-wise-leader-s-plans-considerations-of-advantage-and-of/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) ## More by Warren G. Bennis > [People in great groups have blinders on. Their work is all they see. They value failures as learning opportunities. They are optimistic, not realistic,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-g-bennis/people-in-great-groups-have-blinders-on-their-work-is-all-they-see/) [Warren G. Bennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-g-bennis/) > [Great groups deliver great results. And for everyone involved in a great group, great work is its own reward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-g-bennis/great-groups-deliver-great-results-and-for-everyone-involved-in-a/) [Warren G. Bennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-g-bennis/) > [Leadership is like beauty - it's hard to define but you know it when you see it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-g-bennis/leadership-is-like-beauty-it-s-hard-to-define-but-you-know-it-when/) [Warren G. Bennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-g-bennis/) > [Coaching will become the model for leaders in the future... I am certain that leadership can be learned and that terrific coaches... facilitate learning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-g-bennis/coaching-will-become-the-model-for-leaders-in-the-future-i-am-certain/) [Warren G. Bennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-g-bennis/) > [Servant leadership teaches us that you have to lay your cards on the table.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-g-bennis/servant-leadership-teaches-us-that-you-have-to-lay-your-cards-on-the/) [Warren G. Bennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-g-bennis/) > [That's nonsense; in fact, the opposite is true. Leaders are made rather than born.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-g-bennis/that-s-nonsense-in-fact-the-opposite-is-true-leaders-are-made-rather/) [Warren G. Bennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-g-bennis/) > [Recognize and respect mutual self-interests, then build creative collaborations to serve them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-g-bennis/recognize-and-respect-mutual-self-interests-then-build-creative/) [Warren G. Bennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-g-bennis/) > [If great teams don't have an "enemy," they create one for themselves because, as former Coca-Cola CEO Roberto Goizueta pointed out, "you can't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-g-bennis/if-great-teams-don-t-have-an-enemy-they-create-one-for-themselves/) [Warren G. Bennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-g-bennis/) > [All great leaders constantly seek new information and new ways of thinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-g-bennis/all-great-leaders-constantly-seek-new-information-and-new-ways-of/) [Warren G. Bennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-g-bennis/) > [Trust is difficult to define, but we know when it's present and when it's not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-g-bennis/trust-is-difficult-to-define-but-we-know-when-it-s-present-and-when/) [Warren G. Bennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-g-bennis/) > [Around the world, the generals are being ousted, and the poets are taking charge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-g-bennis/around-the-world-the-generals-are-being-ousted-and-the-poets-are/) [Warren G. Bennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-g-bennis/) > [A passion for continual learning, a refined, discerning ear for the moral and ethical consequences of their actions, and an understanding of the purposes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-g-bennis/a-passion-for-continual-learning-a-refined-discerning-ear-for-the/) [Warren G. Bennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-g-bennis/) > [The failure to find the right niche for people - or to let them find their own perfect niches - is a major reason…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-g-bennis/the-failure-to-find-the-right-niche-for-people-or-to-let-them-find/) [Warren G. Bennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-g-bennis/) > [Effective leaders make a full commitment to be a learner, to keep increasing and nourishing their knowledge and wisdom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-g-bennis/effective-leaders-make-a-full-commitment-to-be-a-learner-to-keep/) [Warren G. Bennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-g-bennis/) > [Encourage reflective backtalk: Leaders know the importance of having someone in their lives who will unfailingly and fearlessly tell them the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-g-bennis/encourage-reflective-backtalk-leaders-know-the-importance-of-having/) [Warren G. Bennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-g-bennis/) [Explore all 132 Warren G. Bennis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-g-bennis/) ## More Advantage quotes > [Dogmatists have one advantage: they are poor listeners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/dogmatists-have-one-advantage-they-are-poor-listeners/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) > [ Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then \[these?\],… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in-england-in-1624-and-in-this/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Talented people can predict with great accuracy what's about to happen just a tiny bit ahead of their competitors. It might be two seconds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-maney/talented-people-can-predict-with-great-accuracy-what-s-about-to/) [Kevin Maney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-maney/) > [All I ever wanted was an unfair advantage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-wynn/all-i-ever-wanted-was-an-unfair-advantage/) [Garrison Wynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-wynn/) > [Part of the advantage, and part of the result of trying to be a producer and director, are the practical things, you find. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/campbell-scott/part-of-the-advantage-and-part-of-the-result-of-trying-to-be-a/) [Campbell Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/campbell-scott/) > [I was born with a silver microphone in my mouth, and that was an advantage. 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I think it's just ingrained in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-blatz/for-some-reason-when-i-decide-to-pursue-something-i-never-have-any/) [Kelly Blatz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-blatz/) > [I think I have good hands, so I try to use them to my advantage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bianca-andreescu/i-think-i-have-good-hands-so-i-try-to-use-them-to-my-advantage/) [Bianca Andreescu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bianca-andreescu/) > [My influences are jazz, blues, European classical music; they are rock music and pop music. So many kinds of music. World music from different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rokia-traore/my-influences-are-jazz-blues-european-classical-music-they-are-rock/) [Rokia Traore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rokia-traore/) > [Baseball needs to put the steroids era behind it by having and enforcing tough rules against all kinds of artificial advantages, so that spring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-olasky/baseball-needs-to-put-the-steroids-era-behind-it-by-having-and/) [Marvin Olasky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-olasky/) > [Daily contact with some teachers is itself all-sided ethical education for the child without a spoken precept. Here, too, the real advantage of male…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-stanley-hall/daily-contact-with-some-teachers-is-itself-all-sided-ethical/) [G. 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