The Good Ones: Ten Crucial Qualities of High-Character Employees

I first came across Bruce Weinstein, Ph. D., last summer through one of his online Forbes columns for “Profiles in High-Character Leadership” that he posted on LinkedIn. I read one column, then another, and another, and another for months because what he said made sense to me – and I believe his wisdom needs to be heard and heeded in business, organizations, and society.His topics, the stories of the people he’s interviewed, and his guidance resonate with me. Like many of you, I’ve encountered trying situations in my work and personal life that, from time to time, put me in a quandary. His columns provided practical advice for how to navigate really challenging situations and encounters, and I felt I received “validation” for my thoughts and values.After checking out his website, TheEthicsGuy.com, where I read more about his credentials, interviews by journalists I admire, and his several published books, I chose two of his books to read. Since then, I’ve read a third, and I’ve written reviews about all three because I found them each valuable. I hope you find the reviews inspiring.I was initially attracted to “The Good Ones: Ten Crucial Qualities of High-Character Employees” because I wanted to know and understand those “ten crucial qualities” noted in the title and, frankly, probably for support to indicate that I was “one of the good ones.” I also thought the book would make a great text study for an office book club.While several colleagues expressed interest, the book club never materialized. Nonetheless, “The Good Ones” is the perfect book for discussion about values in the work environment – if your employer’s leadership team and colleagues have the courage to go here. If not, take on the professional development opportunity for yourself. Your character affects the quality of every aspect of your life.In this book, Dr. Weinstein urges employers and employees to consider what’s at stake if they don’t harness and cultivate the 10 qualities that he says reliably distinguish high-character employees. Those qualities are:1. Honesty2. Accountability3. Care4. Courage5. Fairness6. Gratitude7. Humility8. Loyalty9. Patience, and10. PresenceAs he states, character is the cornerstone of honorable behavior, and “questionable character is costly.” In an easy-to-read conversational style, Dr. Weinstein backs up his convictions by weaving in personal experiences of hundreds of people as he defines each quality and the potential consequences of the opposite behavior in the workplace. By understanding these qualities and how they can show up in relationships and encounters, you’ll learn how to work through challenging behaviors and rise above them, which also makes you a better person who lives with honor and reaps the many rewards that come with that.One of my favorite parts of the book is that Dr. Weinstein provides questions to ask job candidates to help shed light on one’s character during job interviews. If your company or organization is committed to hiring high-character employees – employees who consistently reveal through their actions the qualities he discusses in the book – and evaluating candidates based on character, HR won’t flinch at the notion of including some of these behaviorally focused questions in the hiring process. If not, you might question its core values and whether or not they’re in alignment with yours.The book ends with calls to action – another bonus for employers, job candidates, and those seeking a raise and/or promotion.As in his other books I’ve read – “Ethical Intelligence: Five Principles for Untangling Your Toughest Problems at Work and Beyond,” and “Is It Still Cheating If I Don’t Get Caught?” – Dr. Weinstein is authentic, vulnerable, candid, funny, and skillful as he shares his and others’ experiences. And, no matter what your fancy – music, movies, literature, philosophy, politics, money, and/or television – he has a reference that will resonate with you and bring to life a concept he’s illustrating. This makes his books of practical and wise advice all the more enjoyable – and even fun – to read!

We all like to think that we are people of good character. We all like to think we can recognize people of good character. We would all prefer to be surrounded, at work and in our private lives, by people of good character. It is, perhaps, the most important attribute of those we spend our lives with. And yet, "character" is something that few of us spend any time thinking about.In the opening pages of "The Good Ones" author Bruce Weinstein has the guts to ask a difficult question: What is character? He then goes about 1. Answering the question with care and the insight of a true expert, 2. Showing us how companies can hire and screen for high-character employees, and 3. Encouraging us to develop our own strong character.For me, the uniqueness of this book comes from Weinstein's decision to examine character not in terms of "What should I do?" (as most other guides to ethics in the workplace do) but in terms of "Who should I be?" From that decision flows some of the book's most appealing aspects; its division of character into ten qualities—as that creates a very human framework for evaluating conduct that can often be murky at best—and the way that each chapter profiles real people in all of their individual complexity.Although geared towards the corporate workplace, I feel that the lessons in this book would be equally valuable for those working with and managing volunteers in non-profits and community organizations. In fact, I found myself thinking again and again about the examples that Weinstein puts forward in terms of people I have known and situations I have experienced in all walks of my life, not just those encountered at work."The Good Ones" is a volume that will stay at the front of my bookshelf for a very long time!

With a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Georgetown University, Weinstein combines all of the intellectual horsepower of an academic with the flair of a writer for Rolling Stone Magazine.In this book, Weinstein tackles the challenging topic of ethics in the workplace using real-world examples from actual interviews instead of hypothetical examples. The practical treatment of his Ten Crucial Qualities of High-Character Employees is what makes this book so readable and his subject so accessible. The author makes the business case that high-character employees make good economic sense and that being a "Good One" (having a high-character) is the missing link to excellence.Weinstein suggests specific questions for hiring managers to use during the interview process to gain insight into a candidate's character. Beyond the hiring process, his approach can be used when assessing the character of potential business partners, vendors, advisors, investors and board members.For the new professional and recent college graduate, The Good Ones provides a preview of some very common ethical scenarios in the workplace. Being familiar with these scenarios and having thought through possible responses and implications will help new professionals deal with these inevitable choices.I highly recommend this book for all professionals, especially new professionals and recent college graduates. Many times an ethical line is breached because a decision is made in haste or without the proper context. Ethical dilemmas are not limited to the hiring process and are more common than most people expect. The Good Ones provides the context and guidelines for making the right ethical decisions.

Really good practical guide not just for employees but for all aspects of life. The key elements of character described are very real with helpful tips and wisdom to apply getting the best from character in the workplace.