Strong teams rely on each other. When Integrity is a driving force within a team, they have the power to be an unstoppable. Why? Because a team who consistently chooses to do the good, right and proper thing—regardless of cost—will have trust with their customers, communities and each other.
There was a time when I walked into a team meeting and I apologized and said, “I am sorry. We aren’t going to operate in the gray area anymore. When you come and ask me a question, you will get a yes or no answer. No wishy washy answers. I will tell you ‘yes' or 'no,’ ‘I don’t know,’ or ‘I don’t know yet.”
Years later, a team member, Mark, told me, “The day you came in and said there is no more gray areas was the day we knew we could trust you. We all knew you had our backs, we knew you wouldn’t back out and just cover your own butt. We knew you had us.”
When we stopped operating in the gray areas, our performance improved and our team got stronger. We were more cohesive and had each other’s’ backs. And it all started with the leader – me – having their backs.
This leads us to ask: How is trust damaged when a leader turns a blind eye to people who cut corners?
We may be tempted to believe if we give our teams the slack to divert from the truth—we are doing them a favor. In reality, we are placing distrust and chaos into the equation.
When lies seep in, they can slowly poison even the strongest teams. But, the lies of the leader are a straight shot of poison into the lifeblood of a team.
Conversely, when individuals on a team are confident everyone does what is good, right and proper—despite the cost—they have a bond which creates the team everyone wants to be part of.
As leaders, no matter our position or title on the team, we have an opportunity to provide the example and exercise Integrity.
This story about me apologizing and Mark’s feedback which both highlight the need to exercise Integrity is just the beginning of the training we have crafted for you and your team. We would love to come alongside you and help to sharpen your team in a platform which best meets the needs of your organization. Click here for more details.
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