Character Still Counts

Dustin Fenton

*Piton {pea-ton | /ˈpēˌtän/ } - A Piton is an anchor point that is driven into a wall when climbing to protect the climber and allow them to reach new heights.”

About Dustin Fenton

Dustin Fenton is passionate about helping leaders know they have more in them than they think. As the founder of Piton* Coaching, he has spent 20 years helping leaders move out of their comfort zone and unlock their potential. Dustin got his start as a wilderness guide helping people conquer fears and live life more or less on the edge through rafting trips, rappelling and climbing, and helping others ‘gourmet’ their time in the backcountry. He earned a graduate degree in Organizational Leadership from Azusa Pacific College and is currently certified as a Professional Level Coach through the International Coaching Federation, Stakeholder Center Coach, Gallup Strength Coach, Myers-Briggs Coach, and a GiANT Guide.

Currently, Dustin serves business owners, CEOs, and leaders and their teams all over North America by fighting for their highest possible good. He specializes in helping leaders become clear on what is keeping them from their potential and then taking steps to grow in their influence and have a greater impact. Dustin is keenly aware leaders have four common needs; managing and finding time to do the important work on their business, finding and leading the right people, coming up with a scalable and repeatable business structure, and finding others who are like them because it is lonely at the top. He knows that the best leaders are humble enough to know they have to serve their teams, courageous enough to know they need help to see their blindspots, and disciplined enough to do the work every day to become more intentional in their leadership.

Dustin is excited to work with and inspired by leaders who know they have a team of people counting on them and are committed to becoming better for the sake of their teams and the communities in which they live. He is honored and humbled to have a small impact on local communities throughout North America and loves supporting those local leaders who are making a huge impact in those places. Dustin desires each of the leaders he has the privilege to work with to become a champion of growth and change inside the organizations they serve.

Dustin is excited to be a contributor to the paper every month. He will write on how to become more relationally intelligent at work and home. Dustin believes leadership starts with yourself and that you always need a mirror to be able to truly understand what it is like to be on the other side of you. He believes that we should never graduate from the school of self-awareness. Dustin will bring content that will challenge our readers to think about how to improve themselves and their relationships.

Dustin lives in Spring Hill, TN with his wife and their two kids. They love being outside, riding bikes, playing racket sports, playing soccer, going on hikes, and finding adventures. He is always up for a good book recommendation. In his spare time, he enjoys coaching couples and parents in unlocking their potential in those transformational relationships.

Last month, we explored how chemistry is the first of the four tumblers that lock up influence. This month, we tackle the second key element: character, which, along with chemistry, forms the relational aspect of trust.

Recently, I worked with a leader struggling with an employee’s engagement at work. The leader thought the team member was lazy and job-hunting, despite their immense previous demonstrated value. Instead of taking drastic action, the leader communicated their loss of trust and influence. The team member, surprised, revealed they were dealing with intense personal issues. Understanding this, the relationship improved, and the leader offered better support. This taught the leader that character matters deeply and that asking deeper questions is crucial.

When evaluating character, we ask key questions about integrity and motives. In the story above once it came to light why the person was no longer acting congruently with previous performance trust was restored. Integrity, linked to "integer," means a whole, undivided number. Someone with integrity acts consistently and wholly. We are attracted to people of integrity because of their reliability. Conversely, we feel disappointed when leaders we respect lack integrity.

Another critical question is, "Are you for me or for yourself?" We quickly judge someone's character by assessing their motives. When given the choice we prefer being around people who are for us and take an interest in our success.  It becomes evident if someone is just looking out for themselves. For example, consider a car salesperson who's only interested in selling versus one who takes time to your needs and might even recommend a competitor. The latter shows genuine concern and undivided character while the former salesperson is just looking to make the commission.

While we can quickly make snap judgments, we learned from the leader above that those judgments are not always correct.  It can take time to assess someone’s character.  Look for how they are accountable to others and allow others to give them feedback on certain situations.  Find consistencies in their life.  Do they act one way on Monday through Friday and then on the weekends they are a completely different person?  Observe how they bring empathy, generosity, and respect to relationships.  These are markers of someone with a character worthy of being trusted.

Beware of the trap of character judgments, as the leader from our story learned. We often ignore our flaws while scrutinizing others. This is the fundamental attribution error—attributing others’ mistakes to character while excusing our own. For instance, if someone is late, we might label them irresponsible without considering other factors. Yet, when we are late, we seldom question our character.

This month, pay attention to how you evaluate character, including your own. Are you showing others that you are for them, not just for yourself? When you have a genuine concern for others, you build a foundation of trust that enhances your leadership and strengthens your team, your family, your friends, and the community in which you live.