Many of us know the epic words of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famous "I have a dream..." speech.  It's probably the most famous of the many he made on the topic of civil rights and equality, and it's the one most frequently shown on media clips.  Most people know the "I have a dream..." part of the speech, but how many really know what comes after the popular soundbyte?  I think, today, on the day we remember him, it's appropriate that we stop and consider the message he shared.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.

Hopefully, we have made progress in judging based on color of skin -- although one could certainly argue that we are often as polarized by race today as we were nearly 50 years ago (but that's a topic best left for another day).

But, let's analyze the second part. If we are to be judged by the "content of [our] character," what does that mean for us today?  I think it's interesting to consider what Dr. King would see, were he alive today. What has happened to our individual -- not to mention, collective -- character? (more...)

Several weeks ago, I embarked on the first of this two-part series of posts, which intended to show how Rotary International's 4-Way Test is mapped directly to key character traits...or social skills...necessary for personal and professional success. This is part of the presentation I do across the country, sharing the Rotary-specific version of my speech entitled "Overcoming Failure to Educate."

In the first post, I took a look at the first two statements of the 4-Way Test.  As a refresher, these are:

Today, I'd like to take a look under the hood of the second two statements, and see not only what character traits they represent, but also how they connect with the first two to form a cohesive whole.  As I recently had the opportunity to share with a fellow Rotarian, the statements of the 4-Way Test are not meant to be used as independent "factoids" for assessment.  While we might be able to evaluate one situation against the statement "Is it the TRUTH?" and come up with a "yes," it's also possible that something may be true, yet fail another statement such as "Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER friendships?" In that case, the situation, as a whole, will fail to pass the assessment of the 4-Way Test. (Want a quick example?  Ok...here's one: your spouse asks you the immortal question "Does this outfit make me look fat?"  Depending on how you answer, you may be telling the TRUTH, but you can bet your bottom dollar that answer won't be building any GOODWILL, right? Not only does your answer fail the 4-Way Test, but it's an epic fail!)

Having established that, what say we go on to statements three and four? (more...)

As part of my mission to educate the country on the importance of social skills, positive character and values, I travel nationally and internationally speaking to business, service, and other groups.  Many of these presentations involve speaking to Rotary clubs.  It's a "happy marriage" of form and function, because I also happen to be a Rotarian (Redmond Rotary, WA).

As I present in the Rotary version of my talk, "Overcoming Failure to Educate," there is a direct mapping between what Rotarians believe in and positive social skills and character (for a quick video excerpt of the Rotary presentation, click on the image below or here).

One of the hallmark's of Rotary is "The 4-Way Test."  Originally it was established as a way for Rotarians to evaluate whether any present or considered business interaction was ethical and honest.  But, over time, the 4-Way Test has become the litmus test for how Rotarians should conduct themselves at all times.

Since this is National Character Counts week, I thought it might be very interesting to explore how the 4-Way Test is a study in character...this isn't a stretch for me...it's part of my normal Rotary presentation (and, in fact, our Exploring the Virtues curriculum, under the lesson of Honesty). (more...)