Over the years we have all experienced different kinds of leaders. The ones who care, the ones who tell you they care, the ones whose actions and words don't go together. The analytical spreadsheet leaders, the "I need everyone to like me so I can't make a decision leader" and so on and so on.
Take a moment and examine yourself. What adjectives are you able to honestly attach to your leadership style?
The old adage, "people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care" is really true. However, I'm going to suggest it goes far beyond that. Large organizations who have a code of conduct that everyone signs off on every year and then turn a blind eye when their own senior leaders conduct themselves outside of that code, don't cut it with me. We have all seen it.
I could dive into politics here and talk about the shenanigans that have been going on both north and south of the border and you would quickly get a great sense of what I mean, but I don't find it necessary because you already get the picture!
Definition of Integrity. 1: firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values: incorruptibility. 2: an unimpaired condition: soundness. 3: the quality or state of being complete or undivided. Completeness
Integrity Definition by Merriam-Webster
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/integrity
What are the attributes of a true leader, how corruptible are you when it comes to the way you conduct yourself? I used to say to my leaders, you need to live your life above reproach. What does that mean exactly? No one is perfect, but if you live your life outside of the business the same way you do inside the business, and you have a strong moral standard of code of conduct for your own life, then you likely won't have to worry about it.
Over the years, I've been accused of many things at work. I knew, however, that no amount of investigation or digging would turn up any proof of what those accusations were. That does not mean that you can live your life above reproach and never be found guilty. There are plenty of people willing to lie, cheat and steal their way to the top. If you know in your heart of hearts that you are not guilty, then you can easily put your head on the pillow and sleep at night.
Why am I getting into this tough topic? I believe in today's business environment, it is more important than ever to define who you are and live by that standard, no matter what. Just like your children are watching what you do and modeling that behaviour more than what you say, so are your employees.
What lines do you absolutely know you will not cross? How do you conduct yourself when you are under duress or stress? What makes you the leader to look up to? When your team members look back on their career, who will they say was the leader that stood out to them? Who took the time to teach them and invest in them? Who did they know that they could count on in the tough times? How did they know that?
There were certain ways of leading and behaving that I knew I would never cross into in my career. Money, power, acceptance and being with the "cool" execs were never drivers for me.
What are some "I will always" and "I will never" statements you could rhyme off about yourself that would be easy?
What is your standard of excellence and integrity? I know many people who cheated on their expense accounts, regularly, who cheated on their taxes, regularly, who took credit for someone else's great work, etc, etc, etc.
What is your sniff test for sussing out this type of leader? It doesn't take long, I will tell you. Distance yourself as far as possible and don't let on that you are on to them.
A high standard will never steer you wrong, regardless of whether or not the people in the current positions of power are demonstrating integrity or not.
This topic is just as, or far more (you pick) important today than ever. Sadly, the world is displaying a high degree of "going to hell in a handbasket" at this time.
Every action counts, no one is perfect, but make no mistake, you cannot go wrong with setting the bar high.
What is your standard, have you really - I mean really - ever thought about this? I promise you that the people around you have already made a judgment call about your standards. Are they right? What can you do today to ensure that your high bar is where you live? And then, how do you surround yourself with that same high standard on your teams?
Got some work to do? The best time to start is now...
I will never - sugar coat the truth
I will never - take credit for your great work
I will never - promise you something I can't deliver
I will never lie to you
I will never cheat on my family or my company
I will never.....
I will always - tell you the truth
I will always - be reliable, dependable and loyal
I will always - make the very best of every given situation
I will always - drive a high standard for this team
I will always....
Your turn...let me know how you are doing with this.
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