{"id":120561,"date":"2024-01-05T12:58:00","date_gmt":"2024-01-05T16:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=120561"},"modified":"2024-01-10T13:19:35","modified_gmt":"2024-01-10T17:19:35","slug":"character-qualities-of-a-leader","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/character-qualities-of-a-leader\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Character Qualities of a Leader (Stephen M. R. Covey)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Are you comfortable being yourself, even around people you lead? Do you stand up for others even when it costs you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Stephen M. R. Covey, an inspirational leader makes a commitment to be an upstanding person that others look up to. This requires you to be strong, be true to yourself, and understand others well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Continue reading to dig deep into each of these character qualities of a leader who inspires others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

3 Character Qualities of a Leader<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Covey says that upholding the commitment to character is important for two reasons. First, becoming an upstanding person naturally makes you an inspirational role model<\/a> for others because your characteristics make you credible and a source of moral guidance. Second, being an upstanding person means you model the characteristics necessary to reach your full potential\u2014by being this person, you encourage your followers to do the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Covey identifies three character qualities of a leader who inspires others: strength, authenticity, and understanding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Becoming an upstanding role model is also a core component of knowledge-era leadership in CLT. Marion and Uhl-Bien argue that modern leaders must embody and express the ideas and attitudes of their organization that they want their employees to uphold<\/a>. They explain that leaders can be catalysts for change when they serve as symbols people can rally around. They build organizational myths<\/em>\u2014unspoken beliefs\u2014that guide people’s behaviors and decisions in an organization.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Characteristics of an Effective Leader<\/strong>

In First Things First<\/em><\/a>, Covey\u2019s father Stephen R. Covey makes a similar argument, explaining that becoming a principled person is necessary to be a principled and effective leader. While their perspectives closely align, the specific characteristics of a principled and upstanding person differ slightly. Covey Sr. lists  these characteristics of a principled person<\/a>:

\u2022 They adapt and learn from people and experiences, acknowledge the limits of their knowledge, and admit when they\u2019re wrong. This encompasses Covey Jr.\u2019s concept of strength.
\u2022 They keep promises they make to themselves and others. This encompasses Covey Jr.\u2019s concept of being true.
\u2022 They follow their plan but can adapt to change<\/a>, and they welcome detours as opportunities.
\u2022 They have paradigms and systems to overcome and persist in the face of hardships.
\u2022 They balance their physical, social, mental, and spiritual needs healthily.
\u2022 They focus on what they can control and release what they can’t.

While Covey Sr. doesn\u2019t mention understanding others as a crucial characteristic in the way that Covey Jr. does, incorporating the rest of the characteristics he mentions into your behavior may make you even more of an upstanding moral authority<\/a> and stronger role model for others.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Character Quality #1: Strength<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Strength is one of the character qualities of a leader. Being strong means doing, and advocating, what\u2019s right\u2014putting your ego<\/a> aside, recognizing when you\u2019re wrong<\/a>, and valuing others\u2019 opinions. For example, this may mean admitting to others when a decision you made backfires, or standing up for someone who\u2019s being bullied. Covey explains that being strong also requires you to be brave\u2014putting yourself out there can be intimidating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Being strong can be scary, and trying to put on a brave face, as Covey recommends, may not be enough to help you conquer this fear. Experts provide a few strategies<\/a> to help you get comfortable speaking up at work that may help you be strong in general. For instance, get confident before you act by drawing up a pros and cons list\u2014for example, what are the pros and cons of admitting you\u2019re wrong<\/a> or standing up for someone else? You can also practice what you\u2019ll say or do beforehand to soothe your nerves.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Character Quality #2: Authenticity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Authenticity is another character quality of a leader. Being authentic means aligning your actions with your values and words and expressing your genuine thoughts and feelings<\/a>. Essentially, be your true self<\/a> without putting on a mask for anyone. Covey explains that many people struggle to do so out of fear that they\u2019ll be judged. To overcome this, embrace your vulnerability\u2014accept that you\u2019re not perfect and be OK with sharing your imperfections, despite what others might think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Researcher and author Bren\u00e9 Brown emphasizes the importance of authenticity and vulnerability, explaining that they\u2019re crucial not only for being an effective leader<\/a>, but also for adopting wholeheartedness\u2014the key to living a happy and fulfilling life<\/a>. Brown notes that authenticity and vulnerability are particularly important because they\u2019re how we foster trust and connection<\/a>\u2014ingredients Covey notes are crucial for inspiring people.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Character Quality #3: Understanding<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another character quality of a leader is the ability to understand others. Understanding others means realizing people\u2019s feelings and experiences from their<\/em> perspective and doing so without judgment. <\/strong>Understanding others increases your ability to work effectively\u2014people will be more open and collaborative toward you, which will enable you to develop effective and creative solutions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Skills for Empathy<\/strong>

In Dare to Lead<\/em><\/a>, <\/em>Brown reiterates the importance of empathy for effective leaders, listing five skills leaders must master to practice empathy effectively<\/a>. Like Covey, Brown notes that you must: 1) understand people’s experiences from their perspective, 2) understand people\u2019s feelings from their perspective, and 3) do so without judgment.

However, she adds that you must also 4) be able to articulate <\/em>your understanding to make sure you\u2019re on the same page. This requires you to pick up on the subtle differences between emotions like anger and disappointment, for example. Finally, you must 5) be mindful of your own emotions so they don\u2019t negatively impact your communication and connection with others.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Exercise: Become a Leader of Character<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Covey explains that one of the foundations of being an inspirational leader is becoming an upstanding person\u2014before you can inspire people, you need to become someone that others look up to. In this exercise, we\u2019ll identify which characteristics you need to improve on and how you can do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Of the three characteristics Covey says are crucial to being an upstanding person\u2014being strong, authentic, and understanding\u2014which do you struggle with most?<\/li>
  2. Describe a recent situation where you struggled with the characteristic you listed above. For example, maybe you recently failed to be strong when you gave someone incorrect information and made up an excuse as to why it wasn\u2019t your fault.<\/li>
  3. Next time you experience a situation similar to the one you described above, what can you do differently to embody characteristics of an upstanding person? For example, rather than making excuses<\/a> or trying to shift blame, you could accept your mistake and sincerely apologize for giving the wrong information.<\/li><\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Are you comfortable being yourself, even around people you lead? Do you stand up for others even when it costs you? According to Stephen M. R. Covey, an inspirational leader makes a commitment to be an upstanding person that others look up to. This requires you to be strong, be true to yourself, and understand others well. Continue reading to dig deep into each of these character qualities of a leader who inspires others.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":120570,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[45,14],"tags":[1359],"class_list":["post-120561","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","category-management","tag-trust-and-inspire","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"\n3 Character Qualities of a Leader (Stephen M. R. Covey) - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"An inspirational leader commits to being an upstanding person that others look up to. Learn about the three character qualities of a leader.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/character-qualities-of-a-leader\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"3 Character Qualities of a Leader (Stephen M. R. Covey)\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"An inspirational leader commits to being an upstanding person that others look up to. Learn about the three character qualities of a leader.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/character-qualities-of-a-leader\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Shortform Books\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-01-05T16:58:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-01-10T17:19:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/wordpress.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/young-professional-woman-in-an-office-with-coworkers.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"675\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Elizabeth Whitworth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Elizabeth Whitworth\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/character-qualities-of-a-leader\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/character-qualities-of-a-leader\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Elizabeth Whitworth\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d2928cf6c11a69ced1491d6a5b74fb13\"},\"headline\":\"3 Character Qualities of a Leader (Stephen M. R. Covey)\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-01-05T16:58:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-01-10T17:19:35+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/character-qualities-of-a-leader\/\"},\"wordCount\":1117,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/character-qualities-of-a-leader\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/young-professional-woman-in-an-office-with-coworkers.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Trust and Inspire\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Business\",\"Management\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/character-qualities-of-a-leader\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/character-qualities-of-a-leader\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/character-qualities-of-a-leader\/\",\"name\":\"3 Character Qualities of a Leader (Stephen M. R. Covey) - Shortform Books\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/character-qualities-of-a-leader\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/character-qualities-of-a-leader\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/young-professional-woman-in-an-office-with-coworkers.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-01-05T16:58:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-01-10T17:19:35+00:00\",\"description\":\"An inspirational leader commits to being an upstanding person that others look up to. Learn about the three character qualities of a leader.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/character-qualities-of-a-leader\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/character-qualities-of-a-leader\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/character-qualities-of-a-leader\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/young-professional-woman-in-an-office-with-coworkers.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/young-professional-woman-in-an-office-with-coworkers.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":675,\"caption\":\"A young woman in an office\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/character-qualities-of-a-leader\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"3 Character Qualities of a Leader (Stephen M. R. Covey)\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Shortform Books\",\"description\":\"The World's Best Book Summaries\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Shortform Books\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png\",\"width\":500,\"height\":74,\"caption\":\"Shortform Books\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d2928cf6c11a69ced1491d6a5b74fb13\",\"name\":\"Elizabeth Whitworth\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1fff9d65a52ac4340660218e7b63ee5e365cf08e7aa7adff79a0142cd4b96f84?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1fff9d65a52ac4340660218e7b63ee5e365cf08e7aa7adff79a0142cd4b96f84?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Elizabeth Whitworth\"},\"description\":\"Elizabeth has a lifelong love of books. She devours nonfiction, especially in the areas of history, theology, and philosophy. A switch to audiobooks has kindled her enjoyment of well-narrated fiction, particularly Victorian and early 20th-century works. She appreciates idea-driven books\u2014and a classic murder mystery now and then. Elizabeth has a Substack and is writing a book about what the Bible says about death and hell.\",\"sameAs\":[\"rina@shortform.com\"],\"award\":[\"Contributions to joint task force efforts (FBI)\",\"Contributions to Special Operations Division (DOJ & DEA)\",\"Efforts to fight the war on drugs (NSA)\",\"Contributions to Operation Storm Front (US Customs Service)\"],\"knowsAbout\":[\"History\",\"Theology\",\"Government\"],\"jobTitle\":\"Senior SEO Writer\",\"worksFor\":\"Shortform\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/author\/elizabeth\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"3 Character Qualities of a Leader (Stephen M. R. Covey) - Shortform Books","description":"An inspirational leader commits to being an upstanding person that others look up to. Learn about the three character qualities of a leader.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/character-qualities-of-a-leader\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"3 Character Qualities of a Leader (Stephen M. R. Covey)","og_description":"An inspirational leader commits to being an upstanding person that others look up to. Learn about the three character qualities of a leader.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/character-qualities-of-a-leader\/","og_site_name":"Shortform Books","article_published_time":"2024-01-05T16:58:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-01-10T17:19:35+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":675,"url":"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/wordpress.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/young-professional-woman-in-an-office-with-coworkers.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Elizabeth Whitworth","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Elizabeth Whitworth","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/character-qualities-of-a-leader\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/character-qualities-of-a-leader\/"},"author":{"name":"Elizabeth Whitworth","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d2928cf6c11a69ced1491d6a5b74fb13"},"headline":"3 Character Qualities of a Leader (Stephen M. R. Covey)","datePublished":"2024-01-05T16:58:00+00:00","dateModified":"2024-01-10T17:19:35+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/character-qualities-of-a-leader\/"},"wordCount":1117,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/character-qualities-of-a-leader\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/young-professional-woman-in-an-office-with-coworkers.jpg","keywords":["Trust and Inspire"],"articleSection":["Business","Management"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/character-qualities-of-a-leader\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/character-qualities-of-a-leader\/","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/character-qualities-of-a-leader\/","name":"3 Character Qualities of a Leader (Stephen M. R. Covey) - Shortform Books","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/character-qualities-of-a-leader\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/character-qualities-of-a-leader\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/young-professional-woman-in-an-office-with-coworkers.jpg","datePublished":"2024-01-05T16:58:00+00:00","dateModified":"2024-01-10T17:19:35+00:00","description":"An inspirational leader commits to being an upstanding person that others look up to. Learn about the three character qualities of a leader.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/character-qualities-of-a-leader\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/character-qualities-of-a-leader\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/character-qualities-of-a-leader\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/young-professional-woman-in-an-office-with-coworkers.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/young-professional-woman-in-an-office-with-coworkers.jpg","width":1200,"height":675,"caption":"A young woman in an office"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/character-qualities-of-a-leader\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"3 Character Qualities of a Leader (Stephen M. R. Covey)"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/","name":"Shortform Books","description":"The World's Best Book Summaries","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Shortform Books","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png","width":500,"height":74,"caption":"Shortform Books"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d2928cf6c11a69ced1491d6a5b74fb13","name":"Elizabeth Whitworth","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1fff9d65a52ac4340660218e7b63ee5e365cf08e7aa7adff79a0142cd4b96f84?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1fff9d65a52ac4340660218e7b63ee5e365cf08e7aa7adff79a0142cd4b96f84?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Elizabeth Whitworth"},"description":"Elizabeth has a lifelong love of books. She devours nonfiction, especially in the areas of history, theology, and philosophy. A switch to audiobooks has kindled her enjoyment of well-narrated fiction, particularly Victorian and early 20th-century works. She appreciates idea-driven books\u2014and a classic murder mystery now and then. Elizabeth has a Substack and is writing a book about what the Bible says about death and hell.","sameAs":["rina@shortform.com"],"award":["Contributions to joint task force efforts (FBI)","Contributions to Special Operations Division (DOJ & DEA)","Efforts to fight the war on drugs (NSA)","Contributions to Operation Storm Front (US Customs Service)"],"knowsAbout":["History","Theology","Government"],"jobTitle":"Senior SEO Writer","worksFor":"Shortform","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/author\/elizabeth\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/young-professional-woman-in-an-office-with-coworkers.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120561","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=120561"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120561\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":120598,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120561\/revisions\/120598"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/120570"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=120561"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=120561"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=120561"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}