As Harvard Business School Professor Vikram Gandhi says, “I’m a strong believer that a long-term focus is what creates long-term value.” The single most important thing in leadership is to inspire and earn trust by demonstrating integrity and consistency in your actions and decisions.
When leaders lead with honesty, fairness and authenticity, they build credibility and motivate others to follow, creating a positive and productive environment where team members feel valued and committed to shared goals. Leading by example means demonstrating the behaviors, attitudes and work ethic you expect from others, thereby setting a positive standard for your team or colleagues.
Respect
Through your actions you not only build the respect of others, but you truly build respect for yourself. Respecting yourself becomes evident in how you treat others. It involves acting with integrity, showing professionalism and consistently embodying the values and principles you promote. As a leader I promote the triple bottom line, which is:
Profit: The financial return your company generates for shareholders
People: How your company affects customers, employees and stakeholders
Planet: Your company’s impact on the planet and environment
Business ethics and having integrity are similar but differ slightly. Business ethics refers to the principles and standards that guide decision-making and behavior in the workplace, while integrity involves consistently acting in accordance with those ethical principles, demonstrating honesty, trustworthiness and moral uprightness in actions. In essence, ethics provides the framework and integrity is the commitment to uphold and embody those ethical standards through one’s conduct.
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Incorruptible
To have integrity is “adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values: Incorruptibly.” How does one become incorruptible in business? It requires cultivating self-discipline, making principled choices and prioritizing moral values over personal gain. Building a reputation for trustworthiness and fairness through transparent actions and accountability also helps reinforce one’s incorruptibility.
I believe small tasks that seem unrelated to work build incorruptibly. For example, going to the gym can build integrity by demonstrating commitment, discipline and honesty with yourself about your goals and efforts, which are key elements of integrity.
As mentioned earlier, respect plays a role as well—respect for your body, your health and the commitments you make to yourself. Consistently showing up, working hard and being honest about your progress reflect integrity, while respecting others in the gym by following rules and encouraging a positive environment also reinforces ethical behavior. A team-building activity my team and I organized was going to the gym on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We invited everyone to join, with the goal of learning discipline, building confidence and promoting respect through working together.
The team dynamic I have created with my employees involves being truthful, trustworthy and maintaining integrity even when it is difficult or when no one is watching. It’s about having integrity at work by following through on commitments, treating colleagues with respect and fairness, maintaining confidentiality when needed and standing up for what is right even if it’s difficult.
Final Thoughts
Having experience on both the managed and manager sides, I always hoped my manager would advocate for me when the workload became overwhelming, and that expressing such concerns would be heard by upper management. Most times that fell on deaf ears, so now that I manage others, I try my best to listen to the needs of my employees.
Being a person of integrity is avoiding shortcuts, giving credit where it’s due and consistently acting in accordance with your values. When you genuinely listen to others, you demonstrate honesty and openness, which are key components of integrity. It allows you to understand different perspectives, make informed and fair decisions, and show that you value others’ opinions and feelings. Active listening also helps prevent misunderstandings and ensures that your actions align with your words and commitments, reinforcing your reputation for honesty and ethical behavior. Next time you make a decision, ask yourself whether it was made with integrity.
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