When something becomes a habit, you become that habit.
Practice makes perfect! That is true whether you’re learning a new skill or refining an old skill. It is also true when it comes to exercising Integrity or exercising the opposite of Integrity – hypocrisy. Just ask any teenager. “What do you call someone who says one thing yet does another?” They are going to call that person a hypocrite.
Most people claim to have Integrity. They also demand Integrity from their leaders, their spouses, and their children. But you have to be careful with making those demands on others if you are not practicing Integrity yourself.
What do you call someone who talks about Integrity and demands it of others, but:
- Blames circumstances out of their control for being late with a project, yet they in fact procrastinated starting the project.
- Picks up their kids early from school, claiming they had a dental appointment, but they are actually leaving early for a family trip.
- Sees that the waiter did not include their dessert on the bill, yet says nothing.
- Claims to have high standards for a team, but does not correct the behaviors of a former peer.
- Lies for a friend who chose to break a policy and is trying to avoid punishment.
- Lies for a friend who is deceiving a loved one.
When something becomes a habit, you become that habit. The more you practice a behavior it becomes like muscle memory. It becomes an automatic reaction, a habit that takes little thought. That is how many well-intentioned people become hypocrites. They know what hypocrisy looks like in others, yet they don’t see it in themselves.
The way you break any habit is to begin practicing something different. You don’t get rid of a habit, you replace it with something else. Habits, like hypocrisy, can be replaced if you decide to make another choice instead. What we are talking about is Integrity.
Integrity: Doing what is good, right, and proper even at personal cost.
The more you choose Integrity, the less power the old habit of hypocrisy has on you. Each time you choose to admit a mistake, let the waiter know about your dessert, or put your Integrity before loyalty, it will get easier the next time. Your choices at the moment of testing will determine if you are a hypocrite or a person of Integrity – a Leader of Character.
It’s your choice. If you are a person who wants Integrity from others but realize that you are practicing something less than Integrity yourself, you now have an opportunity. The good news is you can replace that old habit of hypocrisy with a new habit of Integrity. The same habit you expect of others.
Question:
- Are you practicing Integrity at the same level that you expect of others?
- What will be the benefits if you start living up to those standards?
