“The integrity of upstanding people will guide them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.”
– Solomon
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “The greatest homage we can pay to truth is to use it.” Sometimes we may have to pay a price for being truthful, but we will never be embarrassed by it in the long run. All the scandals in the news from government, business, the entertainment industry and so on; all have their origin in the lack of integrity. Many promising careers have been cut short do to neglecting the use of being honest.
Integrity is the foundation of character. Being a principled person with high moral standards is always commendable. We can trust people with integrity, because it places the relationship on solid ground.
Solomon has said that integrity guides upstanding people. Integrity really is the work of wisdom in everyday life. It guides our thinking which drives our decisions. Integrity is the aggregate in the concrete foundation of character, its presence determines the strength and performance of a person. It also determines the stability of the life that’s built on it.
“Honesty is the cornerstone of all success, without which confidence and ability to perform shall cease to exist.”
– Mary Kay Ash
Ulterior motives will eventually undermine those who are untrustworthy. Their lack of integrity allows them to utilize a sliding scale morality, which places all their endeavors and relationships on faulty foundations. Anyone who partners with them will eventually find themselves at risk of collapse. The stability of any structure is determined by what it’s built on, personal character and relationships are no different.
“Integrity is a Leader’s best business card, don’t leave home without it.”
– JSP
Whether you’re leading a family, a team, or an organization, your level of integrity will determine the quality and strength of your leadership. Your relationships and the stability of your family, team and organization are resting on the strength of your character. “Winning is an inside job.” – John C Maxwell
Are You Building with Integrity?
No one other than ourselves can decide how we build. Integrity begins and ends with us, no one else can make that choice. Have you ever been embarrassed by having your own exaggeration of the truth come to light? Maybe it was a little white lie you told to save face, that ultimately left you with egg all over yours. Integrity will guide you to a much higher moral standard. Integrity will build your confidence, self-esteem and self-respect while keeping the respect others have for you intact.
Are You in the Relationship Building or Demolition Business?
“To give real service you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity.” –Douglas Adams
What you think, say and do has an impact on everyone who relates to you. By your integrity or the lack of it, you’re either gradually building or undermining your relationships. Integrity is money in the bank of relationships. In all our interactions with others, we are either making deposits or withdrawals. The higher our balance the greater the tolerance and forgiveness will be for our missteps. Unfortunately, there is no overdraft protection in the absence of integrity.
To Thine Own Self Be True
“This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.” -Polonius (Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”)
Developing integrity begins with being honest with ourselves – one thought at a time. When we have personal integrity, we see reality as it is and not as we wish it to be. It’s true, we really do see things as we are. Our ability to see things clearly is determined by the depth of our own self-awareness. It all begins with how we think. Stephen Covey encouraged practicing “Integrity in the moment of choice.”
Be encouraged by the fact that “Tomorrow’s impeccable character is built one decision at a time, beginning today.”
- JSP
*** This article was authored by John Picarello, Chief Leadership Officer at Lions Pride Leadership Co.***