“The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively” Bob Marley, Musician
We can agree that trust serves as the foundation for any successful relationship. We can also agree that once established, trust paves the way for a genuine relationship where intentions and how they will be realized are not second-guessed. There is no need to.
Trust powers the best relationships in our personal lives and with the organisations and institutions we interact with. This article is about integrity; so, why are we discussing trust? Because integrity enables trust. Without integrity, trust cannot grow. It cannot survive.
Source: LinkedIn
My own definition of personal integrity.
Integrity requires understanding your moral compass. It requires that individuals have a clear line of sight to what they fundamentally believe, i.e. 'what I stand for'. What is right vs wrong, good vs bad, success vs failure. They are genuine in their interactions with others, sharing their understanding or lack of understanding of a given situation, problem, or opportunity. They strive to ensure that their intentions are accurately expressed and understood.
People with integrity are keenly aware of their capabilities and limitations. They communicate those abilities, i.e. 'what I will do' with the understanding that this sometimes leaves them disadvantaged. They believe the reputational damage of mis-representation is a much higher price to pay.
Integrity demands that when commitments are made, they are followed-through and delivered, i.e. 'what I did' every time.
The more that we give thought to this definition, the more it leads to the harsh understanding that personal integrity is measured using a two-column ledger.
Column 1 | Column 2 |
People who act with integrity are those who we prefer to interact with, and they earn our trust (column 1). | |
Those who demonstrate that they cannot be counted on to act with integrity are relegated to column 2. |
That’s it; column 1 or column 2! There is no middle column for 'Often' act with Integrity. There is no grey area.
At their extreme, some living in column 2 earn the unflattering title of “bullsh*t artists”. We all know them. The BS artists over-represent themselves or their organisation, they promise you this but deliver that, or maybe they vanish all together when it comes time to deliver.
Memo to self: live and work better by ridding your lives of BS artists!
These lessons are not confined to individuals but extend to organisations as well (businesses, not-for-profits, charities, institutions). This is known as organisational integrity, and it applies to all the organisations that we work for, work with, shop in or provide energy and support to.
There are many organisations that strive to align their people, from top to bottom, with a common definition of what integrity looks like and how everyone is expected to behave internally and with the customers and clients they serve. They define it, measure it and reward based on results. They ask their customers to measure it. For these organisations, integrity is not merely a marketing punchline but rather a strategic imperative and evidence of this is found across all functional areas and always as part of the hiring process. They are acutely aware of that harsh two-column ledger we discussed earlier as it equally applies to organisations.
Organisations in column 1 earn trust and ultimately commercial or reputational advantage. Those relegated to column 2 face the opposite. The BS artists face extinction.
If you think that I am stretching the notion of organisational integrity too far, then let’s play this simple game. Think about those organisations or institutions that you have trusted in the past. For this exercise, let’s say two or more decades ago. For many of us, that list would likely include resource companies, banks, the pharmaceutical industry, educational institutions, sports leagues, legislators, doctors, and clergy. Now give thought to what your list of trusted organisations look like today.
Why are some no longer on today’s list? I am confident that in many instances, those no longer on your list failed to act with the integrity you expect. From their leadership on down, they failed you. Too often, those foundational elements of integrity 'declare what they stand for, what they will do, and then do that' took a back seat to competing needs. At their best they were exposed as dishonest or incompetent. At their worst, they were fraudulent. It is not a surprise then that they have lost or are on their way to losing your trust.
Now the title of this article suggests that there is a problem with integrity. How can this be?
The problem is this. Integrity, whether personal or organisational, requires that we are always acting with integrity. Expressed another way, integrity is practiced 24/7. We cannot act with integrity 51 weeks of the year and then take a 1-week vacation from it. We have integrity or we do not. Again, there is no middle column. Integrity demands that we are always in column 1 and we know that the line with column 2 is harsh. Integrity is a tough gig!
In closing, let’s consider what each of us can do when we interact with people and organisations in our own orbit.
Source: Pixabay
As individuals: We are always clear and consistent about our expectations. Our words and actions send a steady message (what we believe is right vs wrong, good vs bad, success vs failure). We share this message with those who take direction from us, e.g. direct reports if we are managing a team, those who deliver services to us and those whom we serve. It applies to those who lead us as well.
When integrity stumbles: We respond by standing up to safeguard it. This means accepting a role in communicating that failure. Where possible, we help repair it and finally we acknowledge its restoration. After all it is in our mutual interest to recover from integrity failure. We know that trust is not easily earned and for this reason we work to protect it.
When we conclude that we are working with BS artists: We walk away from them. The longer that we continue to work with them or for them, the more our own personal integrity is at risk. We focus our energy instead on those who value integrity and trust as much as we do. Integrity and trust are not negotiable.
“The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office” Dwight D. Eisenhower, United States President
My thanks to Steven for inviting me to share these thoughts with you. As Steven appreciates, these conclusions take shape over the period of a career and life experiences. In my case, I was fortunate to hold roles in companies of all sizes and worked with companies in my native Canada, the US and on a global stage. I have worked with for-profit as well as not-for-profit organisations and have been exposed to all kinds of leaders and leadership styles. The best leaders were not always the ones most admired. Instead, what distinguished the best leaders was the unbending respect and trust that they enjoyed from all the individuals and organisations they interacted with and served. I am thankful for the opportunity to have learned from them and to understand why integrity was central to how they conducted themselves and those around them.
It is my hope that the thoughts I have shared in this article engage you to look at integrity in a new way, or maybe validate what you already believe. My hope is that this conversation leads you to demand more of yourself and of others.
[Mike currently has his own consulting business providing guidance to industry and policy makers on the adoption of end-to-end supply chain visibility practices. I have known Mike for over 24 years. We both worked for the global standards organisation called GS1 for our respective countries, Canada and Australia. We first met at the GS1 Head Office in Brussels, during the formation of the Global Commerce Committee for the development of electronic messaging supply chain standards. We continued to work together at different times and on different projects until I retired in December 2020. At that time Mike was still at GS1 Canada as its Senior Vice-President Global Relations, Innovation and Chief Standards Officer. We last met over dinner at Vanilla Lounge, the Greek precinct in Oakleigh, about five years ago. Mike is married to Joanne and have two beautiful adult children, Phil and Andrea. (Photo supplied)]
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