An Irish missionary once described how character is formed:

“Consider the walnut: If you compare a walnut with some of the beautiful and exciting things that grow on our planet, it does not seem to be a marvelous creation. It is common, rough, not particularly attractive and certainly not valuable in any monetary sense. Besides, it is small. Its growth is limited by the hard shell that surrounds it. The shell from which it never escapes during its lifetime.

“Of course, that’s the wrong way to judge a walnut. Break one open and look inside. See how the walnut has grown to fill every nook and cranny available to it? It had no say in the size or shape of that shell, but given those limitations, it achieved its full potential of growth.”

How lucky we will be if, like the walnut, we find ways to blossom and bloom in every crevice of the life that is given us.

Character is not an inheritance; each person must build it on their own. Character is comprised of many positive traits, as well as moral principles such as caring, cooperation, diligence, fairness, honesty, loyalty, patience, positivity, responsibility, reliability and unselfishness, to name a few.

Character lies in how you conduct yourself as a person and demonstrate empathy and compassion. You must also be accountable, give credit where it is due, forgive others, apologize when you are wrong and always strive to be helpful.

Let’s look at just a few other hallmarks of good character:

Dependability -- You are there to support others and keep your promises. People can trust you to listen attentively and make rational decisions, while taking responsibility for your actions.

Kindness -- Kind words and kind actions start with kind thoughts. In a hyper-competitive world, we might be tempted to take a dramatically different approach. But that tactic doesn’t produce any winners. Funny thing about kindness: The more it’s used, the more you have of it.

Respectfulness -- I learned long ago to be respectful or be regretful. There are four very important words in life: love, honesty, truth and respect. Without these in your life you have nothing.

Courage -- It’s easy to be ordinary. Courage is what sets you apart from the crowd. Courage is one of the major human virtues. Courage is bravery, valor, standing up to danger, guts and nerve all rolled into one. I’m not a soldier, a policeman, a doctor or a relief worker. I’m a businessman. So what does courage have to do with running a business? Plenty. I admit that most folks’ daily lives are not filled with such dramatic challenges. We all face situations that require us to reach deep down within ourselves to do what is right and brave and occasionally difficult. Courage can involve making decisions that are unpopular, time-consuming or even expensive.

Integrity -- Doing the right thing is never the wrong thing to do. We have an epidemic of blaming others for mistakes, or worse, attempting a cover-up, rather than taking responsibility and swallowing a few bitter pills. We need to teach kids that their actions have consequences, and then apply those consequences. And we need to be prepared to forgive those who are truly sorry for their behavior, and not just because they got caught.

As I have said so many times before: If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don’t have integrity, nothing else matters.

Legendary college basketball coach John Wooden said: “Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.”

I like to say that reputation is precious, but character is priceless. Reputation is for time; character is for eternity.

Mackay’s Moral: Good character is like good soup -- it is usually homemade.

Once upon a time, there was a warrior whose teacher told him he had to battle fear. He didn’t want to, because it was scary. But his teacher said he must do it, and gave him instructions for the battle.

When the day arrived, the student warrior stood on one side, while fear stood on the other. The warrior felt small, while fear was large and intimidating. They both had their weapons, but suddenly the warrior fell to the ground and asked fear, “How can I defeat you?”

Fear replied: “My weapons are that I talk fast. And I get very close to your face. Then you get completely unnerved and do what I say. If you don’t do what I tell you, I have no power.”

With that, the student warrior learned how to defeat fear.

When things fall apart and you start feeling fear, feel lucky instead. Because only when you feel fear will you have the courage to overcome it. Being courageous and having a great life is all about being intimate with fear. Rather than being depressed or scared about fear, lean into it and see it as an opportunity to learn and grow.

My friend motivational speaker Les Brown said, “Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears.”

Don’t be afraid to confront your fears. If you are afraid, admit it. We all face fears and anxieties every day, and the only way to overcome them and succeed is to recognize them so we can confront them directly.

-- Examine your fears by identifying them. Spend some time each morning asking yourself what might happen during the day that you’re afraid of -- failure to reach the people you need to talk to, for example, or getting lost on the way to an appointment.

-- Take preventive steps. Think of what you can do to prevent your fear from coming true. Be on the lookout for behaviors and thoughts that add to your fear, and train yourself to change your patterns of action and thinking.

-- Learn from your fears. You’ll succeed or fail. Either way, use the experience of confronting your fear to overcome new problems.

Fear is the factor that prevents many from taking risks that can mean the difference between mediocrity and success.

Many years ago, I wrote a column about the Second Ten Commandments. Commandment two stated: Thou shall not be fearful, for most of the things we fear never come to pass. Every crisis you face is multiplied when you act out of fear. Fear is a self-fulfilling emotion. When you fear something, you empower it. If you refuse to concede to fear, there is nothing to fear.

Companies that make bold moves rarely do so without some element of fear. Leaders worry every day whether they have acted too soon or are missing some unanticipated obstacles when they introduce new products or services. Have they performed their due diligence? Will their decisions pay off?

Those choices are never easy, but then business is never easy. Successful organizations know how to master their fear and put it in the proper perspective. They know their target markets and customers well enough to predict their chances of winning. They understand that if an idea fails, it most likely will not spell imminent doom.

They understand the difference between confidence and arrogance. I’ve seen plenty of businesses succumb to arrogance when a reasonable dose of fear might have prevented their failure. Fear can be useful when it is used to guide practical decision-making.

But fear can paralyze you, preventing you from achieving, even from living. Can you actually die from fear? Most likely not. What fear kills is your spirit, your ambition, your confidence.

Here’s another story to illustrate my point. The commanding general in the Persian army would go through a rather unusual ritual with captured spies: He would give criminals a choice between the firing squad or going through a big black door.

Most spies decided on the firing squad, with the usual results.

Turning to his aide, the general said, “They always prefer the known way to the unknown. It is typical of people to be afraid of the undefined. Yet, we gave them a choice.”

“What lies behind the big black door?” asked the aide.

“Freedom,” replied the general, “and I've only known a few brave enough to take it.”

Mackay’s Moral: Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark, professionals built the Titanic.

An estimated 50 million Americans quit their jobs last year, causing massive headaches and a tremendous amount of lost productivity and revenue for companies.

The reasons vary. A good salary is no longer enough. Work conditions and other factors are more important than ever. In addition to compensation, employees also want to have a sense of purpose, opportunities for career advancement, recognition, a culture of trust and flexibility to work from home when possible.

Every employee is different. That’s why companies need to start conducting “stay” interviews more than “exit” interviews to find out what matters most to employees.

When I started Mackay Envelope Company many years ago, I created a program we call “One-On-One,” where I spent 20 to 30 minutes yearly with every employee and asked them what was on their mind. They were free to share any thoughts or concerns with no repercussions.

It was much easier when I was building the company and we had fewer employees. When my partner, Scott Mitchell, came on board as president in the early 1990s, he kept the program going, even though we had grown to 400 employees. This program has been invaluable for our company in retaining employees at an extremely high rate. It’s important to get out from behind a desk and visit with every employee.

As author John le Carre said, “A desk is a dangerous place from which to view the world.”

We also have an open-door policy where employees can come in and talk with Scott, me or any manager about anything without ramifications. Remember, employees don’t leave companies; they leave managers.

I believe strongly in recognition and appreciation. Prompt, sincere and public recognition is incredibly important in retaining and attracting employees. It’s human nature for everyone to want to be appreciated for doing a good job. When people humbly say “I was just doing my job,” it’s fine to remind them they were doing their job well, and you are grateful for their effort.

I’ve always tried to give recognition in front of a group and single people out among their peers. Why not give others something to strive for and show them how you value good performance?

Recognition programs create a positive work environment by reinforcing desired behaviors, motivating high performance, increasing morale and supporting organizational mission and values.

I am convinced that T-R-U-S-T is the most important five-letter word in business -- not sales or money or any other replaceable commodities. Trust can be fragile, especially in the workplace.

At every level of every organization, workers need to understand the importance of keeping their word. Employees want to know they can depend on management. Trust between managers and employees is crucial to the long-term enthusiasm, loyalty and productivity of the company. For any successful working relationship, trust is a must.

Employees want to feel that they are part of a team on a mission and that they have a purpose in achieving company goals. I recently wrote a column about Alan Mulally, the former CEO of the Ford Motor Company, and his “Working Together” leadership and management system, which states employees must have a clear sense of purpose in any organization.

It’s important to know where you want to go; to have a purpose. Finding that purpose is among life’s biggest challenges. Discovering what is important to you, what you are passionate about and where you can make a difference -- those are the factors that drive your purpose.

Career advancement is another factor for many in retaining employees. Managers need to let employees know that there is room to grow, develop and progress in the organization. Managers must take a personal interest in an employee’s career goals and promote training and development. That could mean rotating employee roles or suggesting a mentor or adviser.

No one wants a dead-end job. A 2021 report by Monster states that 45% of employees surveyed would have stayed at their current jobs if they were offered more training.

Employees who participate in professional development are more productive. Employee development also boosts profitability. Research from the MIT Sloan School of Management showed that an employer’s year-long soft skills training program led to a roughly 250% return on investment within eight months.

Bottom line: It is infinitely more productive to retain good employees in whom you have invested and who are invested in you. Nurture that relationship carefully to keep your business thriving.

Mackay’s Moral: Take care of your employees if you want them to take care of you.