Book Review: Character First

“A man’s character is his fate.” ~ Hercalitus

By Catherine Austin Fitts

Concerned about the impact that cultural debasement is having on me and those around me, I thought I would take a look at some of the tools that have been recommended over the years. One, Character First. is a book and program developed by Tom Hill, Chairman and CEO of Kimray, a manufacturer of control equipment for the oil and gas industry based in Oklahoma City.

As Kimray expanded, Hill found that their internal culture was suffering from a deterioration of personal integrity and responsibility. He instituted a program to help his employees build their character, individual responsibility and success, which made a significant contribution to company success.

The story is fascinating and the book is easy to read. I am going to try it on myself. If it works, I will pass it on to other members of the Solari team to see whether they are interested in trying this.

Stay tuned!

Access the Book and Course Materials Character First

3 Comments

  1. Hi Catherine,

    Another case study could be Semco in Brazil. The participative management philosophy of CEO Ricardo Semler has since been tested over two decades. The 1998 business biography became the all time nonfiction bestseller in Brazil. An excerpt::

    “”To survive in modern times, a company must have an organizational structure that accepts change as its basic premise, lets tribal customs thrive, and fosters a power that is derived from respect, not rules. In other words, the successful companies will be the ones that put quality of life first. Do this and the rest – quality of product, productivity of workers, profits for all – will follow. At Semco we did away with strictures that dictate the “hows” and created fertile soil for differences. We gave people an opportunity to test, question, and disagree. We let them determine their own futures. We let them come and go as they wanted, work at home if they wished, set their own salaries, choose their own bosses. We let them change their minds and ours, prove us wrong when we are wrong, make us humbler. Such a system relishes change, which is the only antidote to the corporate brainwashing that has consigned giant businesses with brilliant pasts to uncertain futures.”

    http://www.amazon.com/Maverick-Success-Behind-Unusual-Workplace/product-reviews/0446670553/ref=cm_cr_pr_btm_helpful?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&sortBy=byRankDescending

    A thought on defending against cultural debasement: role-play different attacks in a safe environment. Every defender can learn from attacking within a simulation.

    Rich

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