INTEGRITY

How to Preserve Your Integrity

Nancy's boss has just let her know that her client's order is about to leave the company's
warehouse. As she picks up the phone to call them, he tells her there's a problem.

"The shipment was damaged by someone on our warehouse team," he says. "There are some
dings, but this shouldn't affect the product's performance. If they complain, we'll blame it on
the trucking company that delivered it to us."

Nancy pauses, feeling uncomfortable. "But didn't our warehouse crew damage the product?"
Her boss shrugs. "Yeah, but the customer doesn't know that. I'll just file a claim now, saying it
was damaged on delivery. Don't worry, the client won't even notice the damage."

Nancy's boss walks out and she sits at her desk, unsure what to do. She knows it's dishonest to
blame the damage on the trucking company. It's also dishonest to deceive her client, and give
them a less than perfect product.

Many of us have to make decisions that define who we are and what we believe in. Most often,
the choices we face may seem insignificant.
But this doesn't mean that they're not
important to us: even the smallest action
can have an impact on our self-respect, our
integrity, and, ultimately, our reputation. You do not wake up one morning a bad person.
It happens by a thousand tiny surrenders of
In a world where headlines are often self-respect to self-interest.– American writer
dominated by people who make the wrong Robert Brault
choices, people who make the right ones
can seem to be rare. However, it feels good
to live and work with integrity and, when we become known for this highly valued trait, our
lives and our careers can flourish.

In this article we'll examine what integrity is, and we'll see how we can develop it and preserve
it by making the right choices in life.
What Is Integrity?

Integrity is a characteristic that many of us value in ourselves, and it's one we look for
consistently in our leaders. But what does it really mean to have integrity?

The Random House Dictionary defines integrity as:

1. Adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.

2. The state of being whole, entire or undiminished.

3. A sound, unimpaired or perfect condition.

Although the definition is sound, it can be a bit more complex to define integrity in our
everyday lives.

You could say that integrity is always doing the right thing, even when no one is looking, and
even when the choice isn't easy. Or, you might see integrity as staying true to yourself and your
word, even when you're faced with serious consequences for the choices that you're making.

Alternatively, look at the second and third of these definitions. These were likely meant for
structures, such as the integrity of a building. But we can just as easily apply this definition to
ourselves. When we have integrity, we're whole and in perfect condition, and we're not
compromised by awkward "inconsistencies."

When we live our lives with integrity, it means that we're always honest, and we let our actions
speak for who we are and what we believe in. Integrity is a choice we make, and it's a choice we
must keep making, every moment of our lives.

Why Is Integrity Important?

There are several reasons why integrity is so important.

First, living a life of integrity means that we never have to spend time or energy questioning
ourselves. When we listen to our hearts and do the right thing, life becomes simple. Our life,
and our actions, are open for everyone to see, and we don't have to worry about hiding
anything.

When we have integrity, we gain the trust of our leaders, our colleagues and our team. We're
dependable, and, when we hold ourselves accountable for our actions, we become role models
for others to follow.

All of this, in turn, directly impacts our success in life. People who live and work with integrity
are more likely to be considered for promotions. Why? Because integrity is a hallmark of ethical
leadership organizations want leaders that they can trust, and when you demonstrate integrity,
you show everyone you can be trusted.

How to Develop and Preserve Integrity

Your integrity is what determines your reputation, and, just as this proverb states, all it can take
is a single bad choice to destroy a lifetime's worth of integrity.

So, how can you work on developing and preserving your own integrity?

Step 1: Define Your Values

You can't live by values if you don't know what you truly believe in. So, start by defining
your core values. These are the values that, no matter what the consequence, you're not going
to compromise on.

Step 2: Analyze Every Choice You

Often, people cut corners or make

You'll usually know what's right and wrong, although sometimes you might need some quiet
time to figure it out. If you're not sure what the right choice is, ask yourself these two
questions:

1. "If my choice was printed on the front page of the newspaper for everyone to see, would I
feel OK about it?"

2. "If I make this choice, will I feel OK with myself afterwards?"

Remember, honesty and integrity aren't values that you should live by when it's convenient;
they're values that you should live by all the time. This includes the big choices and the little
choices – the choices everyone sees, and the choices that no one sees.
Step 3: Encourage Integrity

People with integrity often have the same characteristics: they're humble, they have a strong
sense of self, they have high self-esteem, and they're self-confident. These characteristics are
important, because, sometimes, you'll be under intense pressure from others to make the
wrong choice.

Work on building and improving these characteristics within yourself, so that you have the
strength and courage to do the right thing when the time comes.

So, how should Nancy, who we mentioned at the start of this article, have dealt with her boss?

She should have dealt with the situation assertively, right away. She could have asked for a
private meeting and said something like, "I'm worried about this. Even if the product works, the
clients will be upset when they see the damage, and they may not want to order from us again.
And the shipping company will be annoyed, too, and we use them a lot. Wouldn't it be better to
tell the truth?"

Key Points
Having integrity means that you live in accordance to your deepest values, you're honest with
everyone, and you always keep your word.

Integrity is a highly valued trait, especially in leaders. When you live with integrity, you're more
likely to be considered for important promotions and leadership positions.

To develop and protect your integrity, start by identifying your core values. These are the
values that you refuse to compromise on, no matter what. Next, analyze every choice you make
to ensure that you're doing the right thing.

Then, develop a culture of integrity around you, work on building your self-confidence and self-
esteem, and develop relationships with others who live with integrity.

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