Leadership Series – Practicing Integrity

There’s a reason why integrity remains one of the most important leadership traits – people want to work for those who are ethical.  Most of us want to be led by individuals who treat others fairly and who do what’s best for the business, but also what’s best for the people who work for that business.

Just as one of the surefire ways to damage your reputation as a leader is to not get a handle on gossip, the same thing goes when you lack integrity.  But it isn’t just about practicing integrity in a work environment – it’s about practicing it in your personal life as well.

Those you lead are always paying attention, so ask yourself – do your words match your actions?  Are you out of integrity in your personal life, but expecting others to trust you professionally?  Since you are setting the tone for those you lead, what tone are you setting in your office?  Are you actively modeling integrity or just assuming others believe you have it? 

While there are many definitions of integrity, it basically comes down to being honest, trustworthy, and reliable in your words and your actions.  It’s making clear agreements, keeping them, renegotiating them when needed, and cleaning them up when broken.

Whether you are a leader at work or at home, the practice of integrity allows those you influence to trust your intentions, your words, and your actions.  If an organization, or a family unit, is to succeed and thrive, integrity must be a fundamental cornerstone.

Practicing integrity in leadership also means being humble enough to admit mistakes, but  strong enough to move forward, helping others to feel secure and confident in you as a person and a leader.  It means owning your mistakes, as opposed to hiding them, blaming others, or making excuses.

Great leaders practice integrity in all areas of their life – are you practicing it in yours?

Let’s be honest – the world needs better leaders at work and at home.  Are you ready to become a better leader?

Source – “The 15 Commitments Of Conscious Leadership”