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What does it take to drive real culture transformation in large, complex organizations—especially from the inside? Jennifer Bitz—public sector leader, systems thinker, and long-time practitioner of character-based leadership—joins us to share how she’s been reshaping culture across four major institutions by embedding character at every level.

🧠 What you’ll hear:
🏛️ How character is the foundational piece in culture change—not an add-on
🌐 Why lasting transformation requires both individual and systemic development
📍The surprising importance of intuition in system-level change
🪞 How culture is shaped by what leaders model (even when they’re unaware)
🎖️ Why rewards and recognition can be a powerful leverage point for shifting culture
🔁 What happens when awareness is paired with daily development
⚖️ Why “too much of a good thing” can derail a culture
💬 How character-based diagnostics reveal what values statements can’t
📱 The impact of the Virtuosity app—even for a seasoned character leader

If you're working to align culture, leadership, and performance—this conversation offers practical insight and deep inspiration.

Resources

• First Follower: Leadership Lessons from Dancing Guy (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW8amMCVAJQ)
• Diagnosing and strategically implementing a character-based culture (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ltl.20898)
• Character Quotient Assessment in Forbes (https://www.forbes.com/sites/marycrossan/2025/03/26/from-good-to-great-10-ways-to-elevate-your-character-quotient/)
• Leader Character Framework with Culture, Virtues, and Vices (https://virtuositycharacter.ca/organization/storage_production_6e2934b8-3e20-47a7-aa79-59a612f967be/990340a0-9980-4919-9456-ab5640b405a0.pdf)

About Virtuosity

• Website (https://virtuositycharacter.ca/)
• Monthly Newsletter (https://mailchi.mp/virtuositycharacter/subscribe-to-the-virtuosity-monthly-newsletter)
• LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/virtuosity-character)
• Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/virtuositycharacter/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=)

Host, Dr Corey Crossan (https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreycrossan/), is a research and teaching fellow at The Oxford Character Project where she develops and facilitates character development programs for students, industry, and university partners. Corey’s love for elite performance developed as she competed in top-level athletics for most of her life, highlighted by competing as a NCAA Division 1 athlete. Corey translated her understanding of elite performance into a passion for helping individuals and organizations develop sustained excellence. She is also the co-founder of Virtuosity Character, a mobile software application created to support the daily, deliberate practice of character-based leadership development.

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What does it take to move a system from simply knowing what matters to living it out daily?

Manisha Patel—leadership educator, senior faculty member, and advocate for integrated growth—joins us to explore the shift from raising awareness to embedding development within the Canadian Armed Forces.

🧠 What you’ll hear:
📖 Why awareness is only the first step—and not the hardest one
🧩 How development gains traction when people find the right words and structure
🛠️ The challenge of turning short-term training into long-term change
🗣️ What happens when others' feedback reveals gaps in our self-perception
📱 How daily tools like the Virtuosity app help turn insight into action
🏛️ The slow but promising shift toward embedding development in institutional practice
🧭 Why progress depends on patience, buy-in, and leadership from the top

If you're leading inside a system—or trying to build one where growth isn't just encouraged but expected—this episode is a must-listen.

Resources

• Canadian Armed Forces Ethos: Character In The Profession of Arms (https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/corporate/reports-publications/canadian-armed-forces-ethos-trusted-to-serve.html)
• Character Quotient Assessment in Forbes (https://www.forbes.com/sites/marycrossan/2025/03/26/from-good-to-great-10-ways-to-elevate-your-character-quotient/)
• Leader Character Framework with Culture, Virtues, and Vices (https://virtuositycharacter.ca/organization/storage_production_6e2934b8-3e20-47a7-aa79-59a612f967be/990340a0-9980-4919-9456-ab5640b405a0.pdf)

About Virtuosity

• Website (https://virtuositycharacter.ca/)
• Monthly Newsletter (https://mailchi.mp/virtuositycharacter/subscribe-to-the-virtuosity-monthly-newsletter)
• LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/virtuosity-character)
• Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/virtuositycharacter/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=)

Host, Dr Corey Crossan (https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreycrossan/), is a research and teaching fellow at The Oxford Character Project where she develops and facilitates character development programs for students, industry, and university partners. Corey’s love for elite performance developed as she competed in top-level athletics for most of her life, highlighted by competing as a NCAA Division 1 athlete. Corey translated her understanding of elite performance into a passion for helping individuals and organizations develop sustained excellence. She is also the co-founder of Virtuosity Character, a mobile software application created to support the daily, deliberate practice of character-based leadership development.

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What happens when someone on the front lines of crisis begins to champion character as the foundation for resilience, leadership, and peak performance?

James Rychard—fire service leader, intercollegiate athlete, and national advocate for character-based leadership—joins us to explore how daily practices can fuel both peak performance and lasting well-being.

🧠 What you’ll hear:
🍁 A bold vision: what Canada could become if character-based leadership started at the top
🔥 Why character—not competence—is the key to sustainable excellence
💪 How firefighting mirrors elite athletics in both mindset and structure
🚨 The hidden burnout risks beyond emergency calls—and how to manage them
🧭 What Benjamin Franklin can teach us about self-assessment today
📉 Why performance drops when character goes unchecked in leadership
📱 How the Virtuosity app helps James stay grounded—shift work and all

If you’ve ever felt the tension between going hard and staying well—or wondered how to lead with strength and humanity—this episode is for you.

Resources

• The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/books/The-Autobiography-of-Benjamin-Franklin/Benjamin-Franklin/9781416598343)
• Ben & Me: From Temperance to Humility - Stumbling Through Ben Franklin's Thirteen Virtues, One Unvirtuous Day at a Time (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9308927-ben-and-me)
• Character Quotient Assessment in Forbes (https://www.forbes.com/sites/marycrossan/2025/03/26/from-good-to-great-10-ways-to-elevate-your-character-quotient/)
• Leader Character Framework with Culture, Virtues, and Vices (https://virtuositycharacter.ca/organization/storage_production_6e2934b8-3e20-47a7-aa79-59a612f967be/990340a0-9980-4919-9456-ab5640b405a0.pdf)

About Virtuosity

• Website (https://virtuositycharacter.ca/)
• Monthly Newsletter (https://mailchi.mp/virtuositycharacter/subscribe-to-the-virtuosity-monthly-newsletter)
• LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/virtuosity-character)
• Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/virtuositycharacter/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=)

Host, Dr Corey Crossan (https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreycrossan/), is a research and teaching fellow at The Oxford Character Project where she develops and facilitates character development programs for students, industry, and university partners. Corey’s love for elite performance developed as she competed in top-level athletics for most of her life, highlighted by competing as a NCAA Division 1 athlete. Corey translated her understanding of elite performance into a passion for helping individuals and organizations develop sustained excellence. She is also the co-founder of Virtuosity Character, a mobile software application created to support the daily, deliberate practice of character-based leadership development.

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What happens when a 34-year public servant, known for leading with empathy, retires—and reinvents herself through wellness, cooking, and daily character practice?

Trish Lee—former senior leader at the Canada Revenue Agency and co-creator of the award-winning Aspiring Leaders program—joins us to share how a life of service evolves into a journey of personal growth, purpose, and flourishing.

🧠 What you’ll hear:
🏛️ How embedding character into hiring transformed a massive public institution
🧭 Why writing your eulogy can be a powerful compass for your values
🧰 Creative ways to build self-awareness—like crafting a personal coat of arms
🧘‍♀️ How Tai Chi, nutrition, and reflection became pillars of post-career growth
📱 Why the Virtuosity app became her new morning ritual
🌱 The surprising link between leadership, lifestyle, and lifelong learning

If you’ve ever wondered what comes after career success—or how to lead and live with deeper intention—this episode is for you.

Resources

• Podcast on Embedding Character at CRA (https://www.questionofcharacter.com/episodes/episode-01-leader-character-101a-r9rxc-3r552-3y9df-baf3j)
• Character Quotient Assessment in Forbes (https://www.forbes.com/sites/marycrossan/2025/03/26/from-good-to-great-10-ways-to-elevate-your-character-quotient/)
• Leader Character Framework with Culture, Virtues, and Vices (https://virtuositycharacter.ca/organization/storage_production_6e2934b8-3e20-47a7-aa79-59a612f967be/990340a0-9980-4919-9456-ab5640b405a0.pdf)

About Virtuosity

• Website (https://virtuositycharacter.ca/)
• Monthly Newsletter (https://mailchi.mp/virtuositycharacter/subscribe-to-the-virtuosity-monthly-newsletter)
• LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/virtuosity-character)
• Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/virtuositycharacter/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=)

Host, Dr Corey Crossan (https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreycrossan/), is a research and teaching fellow at The Oxford Character Project where she develops and facilitates character development programs for students, industry, and university partners. Corey’s love for elite performance developed as she competed in top-level athletics for most of her life, highlighted by competing as a NCAA Division 1 athlete. Corey translated her understanding of elite performance into a passion for helping individuals and organizations develop sustained excellence. She is also the co-founder of Virtuosity Character, a mobile software application created to support the daily, deliberate practice of character-based leadership development.

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In a time of polarization and noise, what helps us lead with clarity, courage, and connection?

Lorelei Rollings—Director General of Culture and Innovation at the RCMP, global leadership trainer, and certified Leader Character practitioner—joins us to explore how character isn’t just a personal quality, but a practical toolkit for navigating conflict, complexity, and change.

🧠 What you’ll hear:
🛣️ Why character is like guardrails on the road of life
🪞 How strengths, when unchecked, can become liabilities—like integrity turning rigid without empathy
🗣️ Why “Tell me more” might be the most powerful phrase in leadership
⚖️ How temperance and transcendence help us stay grounded in divided times
💥 Why every tough conversation is a character workout
🔍 How character gives us the courage to look inward—and act with integrity

If you care about culture, inclusion, leadership, or simply becoming a better human—this one’s for you.

Resources

• Character Quotient Assessment in Forbes (https://www.forbes.com/sites/marycrossan/2025/03/26/from-good-to-great-10-ways-to-elevate-your-character-quotient/)
• Leader Character Framework with Culture, Virtues, and Vices (https://virtuositycharacter.ca/organization/storage_production_6e2934b8-3e20-47a7-aa79-59a612f967be/8505b936-d1fd-4b36-96ed-62663e1c5b9a.pdf)

About Virtuosity

• Website (https://virtuositycharacter.ca/)
• Monthly Newsletter (https://mailchi.mp/virtuositycharacter/subscribe-to-the-virtuosity-monthly-newsletter)
• LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/virtuosity-character)
• Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/virtuositycharacter/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=)

Host, Dr Corey Crossan (https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreycrossan/), is a research and teaching fellow at The Oxford Character Project where she develops and facilitates character development programs for students, industry, and university partners. Corey’s love for elite performance developed as she competed in top-level athletics for most of her life, highlighted by competing as a NCAA Division 1 athlete. Corey translated her understanding of elite performance into a passion for helping individuals and organizations develop sustained excellence. She is also the co-founder of Virtuosity Character, a mobile software application created to support the daily, deliberate practice of character-based leadership development.

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Bill Furlong (https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-furlong-0689753/) is a distinguished finance and leadership expert who served as Vice Chair at TD Securities and now advances character-based leadership through his work with Ivey Business School, Leader Character Associates, and various governance roles.

Quotes From Bill

• "If you want to get an early warning sense of where this organization is going to go, if you have a good sense of what the character of the leadership and the board is like, you're going to have a very good sense as to where the organization is going to go over the two to five year time frame."
• "Once you've rewired your brain, you become basically a different person, but now you become the different person that you've always wanted to be, one with enormous strength and character."
• "Directors are brought onto boards for their judgment—and judgment is rooted in character.”
• "You don’t need elite credentials to build character. It’s available to anyone willing to put in the reps."
• "I think we underestimate the degree to which we can change the context we're in. One person can shift the whole room."
• "The culture of an organization is really the aggregate of the character of its people."
• "Virtuosity gives me the structure I need—without it, I’d probably be a D in character development."

Resources

• Leader Character Associates (https://leadercharacterassociates.com/)
• Question of Character podcast (https://www.questionofcharacter.com/)
• Character Quotient Assessment in Forbes (https://www.forbes.com/sites/marycrossan/2025/03/26/from-good-to-great-10-ways-to-elevate-your-character-quotient/)
• Leader Character Framework with Culture, Virtues, and Vices (https://virtuositycharacter.ca/organization/storage_production_6e2934b8-3e20-47a7-aa79-59a612f967be/8505b936-d1fd-4b36-96ed-62663e1c5b9a.pdf)

About Virtuosity

• Website (https://virtuositycharacter.ca/)
• Monthly Newsletter (https://mailchi.mp/virtuositycharacter/subscribe-to-the-virtuosity-monthly-newsletter)
• LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/virtuosity-character)
• Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/virtuositycharacter/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=)

Host, Dr Corey Crossan (https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreycrossan/), is a research and teaching fellow at The Oxford Character Project where she develops and facilitates character development programs for students, industry, and university partners. Corey’s love for elite performance developed as she competed in top-level athletics for most of her life, highlighted by competing as a NCAA Division 1 athlete. Corey translated her understanding of elite performance into a passion for helping individuals and organizations develop sustained excellence. She is also the co-founder of Virtuosity Character, a mobile software application created to support the daily, deliberate practice of character-based leadership development.

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Dr. Christian Breede (https://www.linkedin.com/in/h-christian-breede-09481415/) is a Research Analyst with the Department of National Defence working at the Canadian Defence Academy.

Quotes From Christian

• "Character work is not to be started in the attack position. You've got to do it before...You gotta have the sets and reps done beforehand so that when you're in those positions of having to make a quick decision, you can rely on your strength of character — your judgment is strong and you're going to make the right call."
• "Militaries privilege certain virtues over others, which leads to unbalanced character — and that can create problems...Almost every country [Five Eyes and Ireland] under emphasized temperance, collaboration, and — surprisingly — courage."
• "The proverbial one-and-done is better than nothing, but ultimately of little impact — what really sticks is some way we can build habituation into it — how can we make this habit-forming? That's where Virtuosity is really helpful, the daily cues to think about what you're already doing — just in a new way."
• "I really want to highlight just how universal this idea of character really is. Character transcends space and time in a way that I think few ideas really do."

Resources

• Character and the Five Eyes: A Review of Anglosphere Military Leadership Doctrine (coming soon)
• Character Quotient Assessment in Forbes (https://www.forbes.com/sites/marycrossan/2025/03/26/from-good-to-great-10-ways-to-elevate-your-character-quotient/)
• Leader Character Framework with Culture, Virtues, and Vices (https://virtuositycharacter.ca/organization/storage_production_6e2934b8-3e20-47a7-aa79-59a612f967be/8505b936-d1fd-4b36-96ed-62663e1c5b9a.pdf)
• Seven Strategies for Character Development (https://virtuositycharacter.ca/organization/storage_production_6e2934b8-3e20-47a7-aa79-59a6

About Virtuosity

• Website (https://virtuositycharacter.ca/)
• Monthly Newsletter (https://mailchi.mp/virtuositycharacter/subscribe-to-the-virtuosity-monthly-newsletter)
• LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/virtuosity-character)
• Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/virtuositycharacter/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=)

Host, Dr Corey Crossan (https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreycrossan/), is a research and teaching fellow at The Oxford Character Project where she develops and facilitates character development programs for students, industry, and university partners. Corey’s love for elite performance developed as she competed in top-level athletics for most of her life, highlighted by competing as a NCAA Division 1 athlete. Corey translated her understanding of elite performance into a passion for helping individuals and organizations develop sustained excellence. She is also the co-founder of Virtuosity Character, a mobile software application created to support the daily, deliberate practice of character-based leadership development.

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Chuck Ansell (https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuck-ansell-00370185/), currently serving as the School Chief Warrant Officer at the Canadian Forces School of Aerospace Control Operations, sits down with Corey to share insights on how he's embedding character leadership into their education and leadership training.

Quotes From Chuck

• "We make sure that junior leaders, intermediate leaders, and senior leaders, all understand what their character looks like and learn about how they can recognize it in other people."
• "I send out a weekly character email that takes a topic, whether it's a character virtue or vice, then discuss it, define it, and explain how it can impact the mission and the team."
• "Our annual evaluations have changed to a character and competency-based evaluation - so character is in our evaluations."
• "[Virtuosity] provides the information, it provides the avenue to track your progress, and asks you the questions that we should be thinking about to change a habit."

Resources

• Character Quotient Assessment in Forbes (https://www.forbes.com/sites/marycrossan/2025/03/26/from-good-to-great-10-ways-to-elevate-your-character-quotient/)
• Leader Character Framework with Culture, Virtues, and Vices (https://virtuositycharacter.ca/organization/storage_production_6e2934b8-3e20-47a7-aa79-59a612f967be/990340a0-9980-4919-9456-ab5640b405a0.pdf)
• Seven Strategies for Character Development (https://virtuositycharacter.ca/organization/storage_production_6e2934b8-3e20-47a7-aa79-59a612f967be/fa001ea5-006e-4e0e-8f68-c4fc2d671aae.pdf)
• Five Stages for Character Development (https://virtuositycharacter.ca/organization/storage_production_6e2934b8-3e20-47a7-aa79-59a612f967be/97cf5062-

About Virtuosity

• Website (https://virtuositycharacter.ca/)
• Monthly Newsletter (https://mailchi.mp/virtuositycharacter/subscribe-to-the-virtuosity-monthly-newsletter)
• LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/virtuosity-character)
• Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/virtuositycharacter/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=)

Host, Dr Corey Crossan (https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreycrossan/), is a research and teaching fellow at The Oxford Character Project where she develops and facilitates character development programs for students, industry, and university partners. Corey’s love for elite performance developed as she competed in top-level athletics for most of her life, highlighted by competing as a NCAA Division 1 athlete. Corey translated her understanding of elite performance into a passion for helping individuals and organizations develop sustained excellence. She is also the co-founder of Virtuosity Character, a mobile software application created to support the daily, deliberate practice of character-based leadership development.