We are hypocrites if we get angry at the world for lacking Integrity, yet we compromise with ourselves on a consistent basis.
What would happen if people just did what they were supposed to do? If they just did the right thing? We talk about the lack of Integrity in our society every day. The news is full of politicians on both sides of the aisle, who lie at will in order to get what they want. We see basketball players pointing the other way when they were clearly the last ones to touch the ball. We hear parents who tell their kids not to lie, yet make up excuses to get out of volunteering at the school.
Imagine what would happen if we flipped the script and Integrity became the norm. What would our workplaces, our families, our society look like?
Imagine going to work each day and knowing you never had to read between the lines. When your boss or colleagues say something, there is no doubt in your mind it is the whole truth. When a subordinate explains why something didn’t get accomplished, you don’t ask yourself if the real issue was whether they procrastinated in starting the project in the first place. Or when anyone you worked with shares an opinion, you never have to ask yourself, “I wonder what they mean by that?”
Imagine coming home at night and everyone looks forward to speaking to the other person. The children don’t feel like they are being interrogated and the parent doesn’t feel like the interrogator. Spouses share their days openly, and discuss the things that need to happen at home for the next few days. Both adults take equal responsibility for picking up kids, helping with homework and household chores.
Imagine a society where trust is an asset and not a liability. Think about what it would be like if everyone really did and said the right thing because it was the right thing to do. A society that doesn’t compromise its Integrity for short term gain. A people who do not put up with lies from leaders, no matter what party. A society where we could all breathe easier and believe in the other person even if we disagree with them.
Utopia? Yes. Heaven? For sure. Realistic? Probably not. But we all have a role to play at work, at home and in our society. Integrity should start with us. We are hypocrites if we get angry at the world for lacking Integrity, yet we compromise with ourselves on a consistent basis. In this world, if we stand up and exercise Integrity we will often be standing alone. That is where Courage comes in. The moral Courage to do what is right.
“If doing the right thing were easy, everyone would be doing it.” – The General (a.k.a. Dad)
Here is the challenge to all of us. What if we began where we are? What if each person reading this decided they were going to make the hard choices and exercise Integrity. We would not be alone. What if we asked our work teams and our families to do the same thing? What if we led by example first and then inspired them to join us? One leader at a time. One workplace at a time. One family at a time. Imagine the difference.
We might not change society this way. But we may just change our little corner of it.
Dig Deep Questions:
What can you do differently as far as exercising Integrity?
How could that impact the people in your sphere of influence?
Making a shift towards taking responsibility and living with Integrity is a lifelong journey. We want to partner with you as you practice the habit of Integrity daily, which is why we have created our Habits of Character Action Guides.
The Integrity Action Guide offers you a month of daily, interactive training complete with a daily reading, dig deep questions, weekly processing guides and instructions on how to use the guide both individually and with your team. The Integrity Action Guide is now available here.
We are behind you, championing for you, your teams and your organizations as you become the leader you wish you had. We want to come alongside you as you grow to confidently answer “yes” to the question, “Would you follow you?”
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