Forces of Character: Conversations About Building A Life Of Impact

by Chad Hennings, Jon Finkel

In FORCES OF CHARACTER, three-time Super Bowl Champion, College Football Hall of Famer and Fighter Pilot Chad Hennings presents a series of conversations with extraordinary individuals who have lived a life of high moral and functional character; people who demonstrate habits of excellence consistently, who elevate their performance toward a noble purpose, and who begin lifting others to their highest potential.
 
Through candid interviews with an array of luminaries, Hennings explores the transformational moments, the mentors and the mindsets that have shaped the lives of his subjects,
 
Roger Staubach - Navy Veteran and Pro Football Hall of Famer
 
Tom Henricks - NASA Space Shuttle Commander
 
Gregg Popovich - 5x NBA Championship Head Coach of the San Antonio Spurs
 
Carey Casey - CEO of the National Center for Fathering
 
Dr. Edith Eva Eger - Holocaust Survivor and international Speaker
 
Jason Garrett - Dallas Cowboys Head Coach
 
Bob Sweeney - Homeless Warrior and Executive Director of Dallas Life
 
Virginia Prodan - International Freedom Fighter
 
Troy Aikman - 3x Super Bowl Champion, Pro Football Hall of Famer, Broadcaster
 
Special Guest - High Level Government Official
 
 
The Forces of Character in this book have made a conscious choice to try to live every day as their best possible self, to lift others to their full potential and to elevate the performance of those around them. 

Whether readers learn about mental toughness and the power of a positive attitude from Edie Eger; the symbiotic relationship between character and leadership from Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman; the imperative of choosing high-integrity people for your organization from Gregg Popovich; having the courage to stand by your decisions from Tom Henricks; the importance of consciously being a mentor from Carey Casey, or any other phenomenal piece of advice from the icons in this book, whatever your takeaway is, the journey to becoming a force of character can begin with this book.

250 pages, Paperback

First published October 6, 2015

Reviews

[Dimas · Rating 3 out of 5]

As entrevistas são boas e dão suporte à teoria do autor de que o caráter é algo que se constrói no dia a dia. O "work ethic" americano é mencionado em várias das entrevistas inclusive dando destaque à ética e não apenas ao "trabalhe mais duro que todos e conquiste o sonho americano".
Os perfis dos 10 entrevistados são bem diversos, apesar de muitos serem atletas, tendo um juiz da suprema corte, um diretor de ONG, um comandante do ônibus espacial, uma sobrevivente do holocausto e uma exilada da ditadura comunista.
Cada entrevista pode ser lida também como uma minibiografia dos entrevistados e sempre é interessante de ver como alguém consegue de uma infância humilde no campo virar um piloto de ônibus espacial ou um juiz da suprema corte, ou como o caráter pode fazer uma pessoa suportar os horrores do comunismo e do nazismo, e ter excelência na vida acadêmica e profissional.
Não dei um "rating" maior para o livro porque acho que faltou, no capítulo final, uma conclusão analisando as biografias em conjunto.

[Benoit Lelièvre · Rating 3 out of 5]

I get what Hennings & Finkel were going for with that book and I get why it didn't work the way they expected it to: interviewing people is tough. You need a connection to your subject if you want him or her to deliver the good, otherwise they will clam up and give you banalities.

And that's what FORCES OF CHARACTER was: enlightening moments and Hallmark banalities. Some of the interviews Hennings lead were powerful a offered genuine transcendent moment like, for example, Dr. Edith Eger or Gregg Popovich, and others felt more self-congratulatory than others (I'm looking towards football players here). Unfortunately, I can't say FORCES OF CHARACTER changed my life, but it didn't leave me indifferent and introduced me to people who have made a habit out of making difficult decisions and taken pride in it.