Every structure fails at the level of its foundation. In human systems, that foundation is the unshakable belief that every human being has worth and must be treated with dignity.
Three things are poured with it: Character (who you are when it costs you), Integrity (the match between what you say and what you do), and Courage (the willingness to act on both).
Skills sit on top of this. A skilled person on a cracked foundation becomes a more efficient version of the problem.