Integrity is one of those personal measures we all aspire to have. For me having gone through so many difficult life challenges like having a business failure and fired from a high profile job I became sensitive to what people were saying. I learned quickly that actions are indeed stronger than words. There is no room for excuses and sugar coating with integrity.
Many of my recent articles came to life from something a friend or colleague said that I found intriguing. This is a joy of being a good listener. It’s also a trait of someone with Integrity. This article is no different. A close friend was sharing with me why he left his job a while ago. He told me the company did not live up to his moral standards. For me it was a conversation with a close friend and she said I know you wouldn’t do that. You have too much Integrity. I was blown away.
I ask if you’re a one person company and you put CEO on your business card are you telling the truth? I believe you are. Does it reflect what and who you are? That is where it becomes a grey area. Be assured, integrity does not hang out in grey areas.
One common term we don’t hear as much of as we used to is ” My word is my bond”. Say’s it all doesn’t it? If we put this into a business perspective people like to deal with people they trust and respect. Trust and respect are both earned. They are a critical part of integrity. Gaining back trust and respect after losing it is one of the toughest things you will ever have to do in your live. It forces you to come clean. To bare all. Fluff is a white substance that lives on top of cake. We should not let it creep into our every day lives.
Have you taken stock of who you are? Do you think you have integrity? There is only one way to figure that out and that is with a lot of quiet time recalling meaningful conversations. Conversations where a shared mutual respect was expressed aloud. Ask yourself if I were my customer would I buy from me? Life is about who trusts us and not so much about who we trust. If you can honestly say people trust me. They believe what you say will reflect what you do. Congratulations. You qualify.