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Coaching Blog – Four Bold Ways to Model and Discuss Honor at Work

When you hear the word honor, what comes to mind?

For many, it feels like a distant concept��perhaps reserved for the military, ceremonial speeches, or ancient traditions. But as leaders, we know better. Honor isn��t a relic of the past��it��s a foundational virtue that shapes everything from our character to our culture. And in today��s complex, noisy, and fast-paced world, it��s more essential than ever.

My Own Journey with Honor

For me, the meaning of honor was forged in the most difficult of places: a prisoner of war camp during the Vietnam War. In that crucible experience, where survival was uncertain and isolation was the norm, our rallying cry was simple but powerful: ��Return with Honor.�� It wasn��t just about making it home��it was about how we returned. That motto shaped every decision we made and gave us strength when everything else was stripped away. Honor wasn’t just a value��it was a lifeline.

That experience is why I��ve written about honor in books like Leading with Honor and Engage with Honor. But more than anything, I want to help leaders like you carry that banner forward��because the next generation needs it more than ever.

Please watch the following coaching clip and then continue reading below.

Leadership Without Honor is Just Ambition

Let��s be honest: Living with honor isn��t easy. It never has been. Throughout history��from ancient texts such as the Bible to modern headlines��we��ve seen the tension between doing what��s right and doing what��s easy. Honor often demands sacrifice. It requires courage. And sometimes, it means standing alone.

In the POW camps, I saw firsthand how our leaders paid the highest price for honor. They endured torture and years of isolation, not because they had to��but because they chose to live by a higher standard. Their commitment showed the rest of us, especially the younger ones, that honor is the foundation of real leadership. And if we want to build cultures of freedom, trust, and accountability in our homes, teams, and organizations��we must fight for honor too.

The Cultural Crossroads We��re Facing

Let��s fast forward to today. We live in a world overflowing with information��but not always with wisdom. Technology, media, and AI offer incredible tools, but they also create endless distractions and temptations toward dishonorable shortcuts. The pressure to perform, compromise, or conform is immense��especially for younger generations. So, what��s the solution? You are. Discussions about honor as just as important as setting a daily example.

“Leaders do more than set a positive example��they actively and intentionally mentor and discuss what honor really looks like in real life.” [Tweet This]

Four Ways to Pass on the Gift of Honor

If we want to build strong future leaders, we must do more than model honor��we must talk about it, teach it, and celebrate it. Here are four ways to start that conversation:

Talk About What Honor Means

Honor is built on honesty, integrity, and ethical conviction. But it��s also held up by three pillars: Character, Courage, and Commitment. (You can explore these further in the Engage with Honor model.)

Start asking:

What does honor look like in our workplace?How do we define it in our family or team?When have we seen someone make the honorable choice, even when it cost them something?

Make Character Real and Relatable

Use stories and examples. Invite others to share moments when someone��s strong character made a difference��whether it was a leader who spoke the truth, a friend who stood up for what was right, or a time when they made a hard but honorable choice.

Don��t Walk Alone

Here��s the truth: We all fall short sometimes. We get tired, angry, afraid, or even ashamed��and that��s when we��re most vulnerable to dishonor.

That��s why community matters. Surround yourself with people who will speak truth, challenge you, and help you stay on the path of honor. And be that person for someone else.

Practice ��Correcting Back��

We all veer off course from time to time. What matters is how quickly we correct back. Share your own stories of ethical course correction��how you recognized a wrong turn and made it right. Then invite others to do the same. That��s how we normalize honor as an everyday leadership practice.

Stay Coachable��And Keep Coaching Others

Living and leading with honor will always be a challenge. Every one of us is in a daily battle between the easy path and the honorable one. But here��s the good news: Honor is contagious. When you live it out and speak about it openly, you give others permission to rise higher too.

So, stay coachable. Keep checking your compass. And most of all, keep pouring into the leaders around you��especially the next generation��so they can carry the torch of honor into the future. Let��s not just hope for honorable leaders��let��s build them.

Want a tool to start the conversation? Download the free Engage with Honor Model and Honor Code graphic to guide your next team meeting, mentoring session, or leadership retreat.