“Integrity” is one of those words that’s thrown out in organizational cultures, but what’s it really mean, and is it really followed? We’ve worked with many orgs where “integrity” was one of those values on fancy posters hanging around the office. But, as we venture further into 2017, let’s ask ourselves if we ARE indeed working with “integrity?”
An often used definition of “integrity” is the C.S. Lewis quote: ” ‘Integrity’ is doing the right thing when no one is watching.” It’s a succinct way of explaining the concept. People often additionally define “integrity” with words like “honesty,” “truthfulness,” and “fairness.” However, integrity is much more than that: it’s the core operating system with which we live, how we often wish to run our organizations, and what people expect in their leaders.
Many folks (and frankly organizations) wish to improve or focus on developing their individual and collective integrity. How can you do this? Like keeping a New Year’s resolution (we shared strategies for this in this post), building our individual integrity is all about practice.
Here are six strategies that may help you build your leadership integrity:
- First, decide to focus on improving your integrity … Like that New Year’s Resolution, you need to WANT to make a change to improve your integrity. Saying it because it’s on your personal development plan from H.R. or because it sounds impressive to your boss aren’t good or “sticky” reasons your change will become part of your DNA. Make the decision to COMMIT to making a change.
- Believe in yourself, and in change … Having a positive self-concept (a.k.a. having confidence in what you’re able to accomplish and the skills you have) is vital to being able to improve
- Be conscious of the decisions you make …
- Practice getting into your “drone perspective” … Drones have
- Avoid succumbing to peer pressure. …
- Empathize and Be polite. …
