Integrity

debate

As I watch the political environment unfold in the U.S. I am amazed by how poorly candidates treat each other. At some point it became acceptable to not just talk about your own credentials, but to tear down your opponent at any cost. I recently saw a commercial where a candidate, an injured war hero, ran a heartfelt message. This wonderful message quickly shifted to a vicious attack on his opponent. All the goodwill he built up was immediately lost when he criticized his rival. Why can’t candidates take the high road? If people I do business with treated their competitors the way candidates treat each other, I’d take my business elsewhere. We have politicians blatantly lying and littering airwaves with endless negativity. Not only is this practice disrespectful, it’s classless. What happened to integrity?

While there are many things that we cannot control, integrity is one that we can. There are multiple ways to ensure that you maintain your integrity:

Honor your word. Do what you say. If you make a commitment, follow though. It can be as simple as a customer asking you a question that you can’t answer. You tell him you will find the answer. Get it, and get back to him. Even if it’s insignificant, you will enhance your credibility. If you say you will be somewhere at a particular time and a conflict arises, notify the affected party, but do everything in your power to get there.

Make no excuses. Excuses are a sign of weakness. Accept responsibility and fall on the sword. Don’t blame other people. Doing so makes you a victim and strips away your power. Having integrity requires taking responsibility and refusing to make excuses.

Looking down on people or being disrespectful shows a lack of integrity. Having more money or a better education doesn’t make you better than anyone else. Everyone has something to offer. Treat others as you would like to be treated.

Give credit to others. The most successful leaders are those who empower the people around them. The most effective way to empower people is to credit them with success. If you lead a team that is being recognized for an accomplishment, publicly credit the team. Resist the desire to make it about you.

It is often said that all you have is your integrity. The message is simple: Honor your word, make no excuses, be respectful, and credit others for success. If our current politicians won’t heed this advice, we should seek to elect people with greater integrity.