Duty – You have to DO what you want to BE

Duty Defined: Taking action based on both our assigned tasks and moral obligations.

Moms know what Duty means. When I write about all the Six Habits of Character, I always define them in 12 words or less. But moms have boiled the definition of Duty down to two words – Ought to.

My mom taught me about Duty because she was always telling me what I ought to do:

● “You ought to go down the street and introduce yourself to that new boy who just moved in.”

● “You ought to shovel the walkway for the neighbors when you finish ours.”

● “You ought to write a ‘Thank You Note’ to Mrs. Tillar.”

● “You ought to do your own laundry instead of expecting your wife to do it.”

Every time I prepare to speak with audiences in law enforcement, the corporate world, or non-profits, the topic of Duty always generates a lot of discussion. It is not a word that is thrown around meetings in conference rooms very much these days. But, it is a vital Habit of Character for leaders to exercise. All the Habits of Character are like muscles. The more we exercise them, the stronger they get.

The Habits of Character work together just like muscles work together. Each muscle relies on another adjoining muscle to support it and give it added str