Vital skills for the future – integrity

Integrity. It’s a big word. I remember doing the play “A Man for All Seasons” (Bolt) in high school and learning about integrity. Sir Thomas More was the ultimate man of conscience. I remember admiring that about him and deciding that I wanted to live my life with integrity.

It is a big goal.

The dictionary defines integrity as:

in·​teg·​ri·​ty | \ in-ˈte-grə-tē \

1: the quality of being honest and fair

2: the state of being complete or whole

The practice of being honest and showing a consistent and uncompromising adherence to strong moral and ethical principles and values.

Synonyms include strong words like character, decency, goodness, honesty, morality, rectitude, righteousness, virtue

Big, BIG word.

For me, the definition of integrity, is doing the right thing even when no one is watching. That is the definition I give to my own children. It is the standard by which I try to live. I say try because living with absolute integrity is sometimes not that easy. Sticking to your values and morals in a world that is increasingly permissive and amoral is no mean feat, but without integrity, you would just be bowing to the standards of the world and compromising yourself. Your true self. Without integrity, you will lose your real self because you no longer know what you stand for or believe in.

That is why integrity is important. And in business, it is becoming increasingly essential. Businesses are expected to be transparent. To be honest. To do the right thing.

As a human, and a business, integrity is essential for the following reasons:

TRUST: When you have integrity, people can depend on you, and you develop trust. People will believe that your word is your bond. Your reputation for being trustworthy will be without doubt.

AUTHENTICITY: When you live by your morals and values, you are who you are, regardless of judgement or approval. People will respect that.

EXHAUSTION:  Compromising yourself is exhausting. Dishonesty is a burden. It creates anxiety, stress, and sleepless nights.

CONFIDENCE: comes from being secure in who you are. Living with integrity makes you feel more secure in who you are, and more confident in yourself.

LEADERSHIP: Integrity is admirable. People admire people who live by their moral code and value system. And when people admire you, you become a natural leader.

INSPIRATION: Having integrity inspires others. When people see your sincerity and ability to stand up for your morals, they want to be more like you.

Personal and professional integrity mean you need to be sure of, and comfortable with, who you really are. Knowing your values and morals is the key to having integrity because then you know what you stand for. It also means being strong enough to withstand peer pressure, to be brave and courageous, regardless of the pressure to disregard your morals and values.

In corporations, building integrity is a challenge, but a necessity, because it relates to building trust, building a reputation, and ultimately, growing your business.

While integrity is a vital virtue to have, full stop, going forward it is becoming a more integral part of interacting in the world, and in business it has become a more important skill for the future. It is undeniable.

In a world full of social media fakeness, people want authenticity. They want to know you, as an individual and a business entity, are real. That you have integrity.

But how do we teach integrity?

I believe that first and foremost, you need to model it. People watch what you do more than listen to what you say. You can talk about these things, but the best way to teach is through modelling, and the way to model integrity is to:

• Be considerate of others.
• Be truthful and trustworthy.
• Be responsible and accountable for your actions.
• Have decent morals that you live by.
• Be dependable and committed to your responsibilities.
• Not make false promises.
• Make good decisions.
• Be respectful and compassionate to others.

The youth, well all people really, understand that no one likes dishonesty, and no organisation likes dishonest employees. Companies want trustworthy staff – staff with integrity.

We all automatically gravitate to people who are authentic, honest, and trustworthy. The same goes for employers. The same for organisations. I personally don’t mind paying a little extra at a store or company that ‘does good.’ Within organisations, integrity facilitates better relations, and better working environments, which leads to improved productivity. Externally, organisations with a reputation for integrity are more likely to be successful and have more clients.

In general, the world is becoming more conscious of social obligations and responsibilities, and integrity is going to become an even more transparent, necessary trait. Organisational (and personal) success is best achieved with integrity. In life, we tend to stick with the people who are good to us, who care about us, and who do what they say they are going to do. It all boils down to trust and integrity.

Learn to live with integrity. Cherish your integrity. And (try) never compromise it.