Leadership Trait of the Day: INTEGRITY

This one is a no brainer – everyone knows that good Leaders have to have Integrity.

Here are just a few quotes on Integrity from notable Leaders:

·         “Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters.” – Albert Einstein

·          “I am a slow walker, but I never walk backwards.”
– Abraham Lincoln

·         "A person who is fundamentally honest doesn't need a code of ethics. The Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount are all the ethical code anybody needs." – Harry S. Truman

·         “The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office.”  -- Dwight D. Eisenhower    

·         “Dependability, integrity, the characteristic of never knowingly doing anything wrong, that you would never cheat anyone, that you would give everybody a fair deal. Character is a sort of an all-inclusive thing. If a man has character, everyone has confidence in him.” – Omar Nelson Bradley

·         “Character is much easier kept than recovered.” – Thomas Paine.

There you have it, whether you call it Integrity, Honor, Character, or Honesty, everyone agrees that a Leader has to have it.  This is because good Leadership is built on trust – there cannot be any trust if the leader does not have integrity.  Further, once that trust is broken, it will take a long time - if ever - for it to be repaired.  

While it is universally accepted that a Leader has to have Integrity, it is not a trait that is universally practiced.  According to the 2002 article “Leadership 101: Integrity” by Thomas Cunningham, 75% of polled employees observed unethical conduct in the workplace.  Only 40% of these same employees said that their workplace had honest and ethical management. 

While those statistics are sad, they are also an opportunity.  If you become an ethical leader, your employees will trust and respect you.  When your people trust and respect you, they will work harder for you.  When this happens, everybody wins. 

 How can you be a Leader with Integrity?  Click through for some tips. 

There is a very simple rule I was taught when I first joined the Marine Corps: Integrity means doing the right thing even when no one is watching.  If you live your life by this maxim, you will embody Integrity and Honor to the point that you will not have to think about being honest. 

Here are some other characteristics you can adapt to show your Integrity and build an ethical workplace:

Behave honestly and practice ethical behavior in your interactions with people.  As a Leader, you are a role model for those whom you lead; so you need to be consistent and clear in your ethical standards.  You need to be honest with your subordinates and supervisors – even when the truth hurts.  You need to speak up in support of the correct standard – even when it may be risky to do so.  You have to challenge any system that encourages dishonesty or rewards unethical behavior.

Ensure that ethical behavior is practiced throughout the organization. As a Leader, you have to ensure that your subordinates are practicing Integrity.  You have to create clear ethical standards and enforce them.  You have to encourage your people to express their concerns about questionable activities.  You have to hold people accountable for a lack of Integrity. 

Avoid political and self-serving behavior.  As a Leader, you have to award job performance – not office politics.  You have to create and enforce objective measures of performance.  You need to make sure that you share recognition with your people – do not accept undue credit for their efforts.   

Stand up for what you believe in. This is not an easy task, but if you are going to have Integrity and be a Leader with character, you need to take a stand on what is right.  It is easier for you to stand for a principle when you have developed a reputation as a man of honor and integrity.  When you have this reputation, you will gain the support and cooperation from key individuals in your organization.  This will allow you to stand up for what you believe in.  You also need to encourage and support others in speaking up to express and support their view points. 

Be a role model for you organization’s values.  This is where you have to walk the walk - be an example of what you want your employees to be.  Be the type of Leader that you would want to follow.  You need to make sure that your performance reflects the best standards, and you need to coach your employees to follow your example of these high standards. 

If you adopt these characteristics, you will become a Leader with Integrity who will gain the respect of his seniors, peers and subordinates.  Are you up for this challenge?