Strengthen Your Integrity

Posted on March 13, 2024 by Ack Professional International , One of Thousands of Leadership Coaches on Noomii.

Integrity is a highly valued trait in a person, and especially in leaders. When you live with integrity, you’re more likely to be trusted and considered for important leadership roles.

Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. Some like to say uprightness.

Integrity in a person is adherence to moral and ethical principles, soundness of moral character, honesty. The state of being whole, entire or undiminished.

Leadership integrity is the act of being morally trustworthy, honest, true to oneself, and or acting in accordance with what one says. What you say, you do. Living it yourself before leading others. Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. Some like to say uprightness.

Integrity in a person is adherence to moral and ethical principles, soundness of moral character, honesty. The state of being whole, entire or undiminished.

Measure Your Integrity

Do you act with integrity?

You can make an accurate assessment by asking yourself these questions.

Am I taking 100 percent responsibility?

Am I willing to say what I’m thinking and express the truth to others?

Would I want my child or someone I love to do what I am willing to risk? If not, then why am I doing it?

Does the conduct make me a better person?

Am I Leading by example? Would I want my leader to project what I am portraying to those I lead?

Five pillars of leadership:

1. Collaboration You can’t do it yourself. Everything is moving too fast to have one smart person making all of the calls. Organizations need to be inherently agile with collaboration and communication.

Transparency builds trust. If you connect to your team and show genuine interest in their participation and welfare, they are more likely to join you in your quest. The reason is simple: People support what they help create. Connect them to the mission.

2. Authentic leaders have vision.

Vision and strategy can be built collaboratively, and authentic leaders help define that reality. But the leader must also be a champion of the future while engaging in the purposeful motivation and practical realities of the present.

3. Empathy and understanding.

No one is perfect in life. Be empathetic. We all have areas that can be improved as human beings. Leaders who recognize that they are leading people and not just managing an outcome will engage loyalty and productivity. Treating others as we like to be treated is an important aspect for over 2,600 years. If you can create a culture of respect, a culture of trust rather than one of fear, your organization will accomplish its mission above and beyond.

Be empathetic and listen to those you lead. An understanding leader is an outstanding leader.

4. Authentic leaders are grounded.

Truly authentic leaders must be centered and balanced if they are to be effective and resilient in today’s workforce. They can take a broader perspective, often putting the company and its people in the forefront as they know it will lead to greater success.

We are each composed of body, soul and spirit. And we need to be mindful to care for ourselves so we can effectively serve others. Each leader will need to tend to their own foundational well-being first to be sustainable in the cauldron of today’s workplace. The simple personal disciplines of life are even more important when you lead others. They will read you like the latest novel.

5. Ethics are a pillar of leadership.

If you don’t have integrity, you have nothing. You can’t buy it no matter how much money you bring in. You can have all the money in the world, but if you are not a moral and ethical person, you really have nothing.” It’s closest to health in life. Without health you cannot have life, all the money in the world can’t bring your health, you need to work for it.

So how do you build integrity as a leader and in your life?

Simple steps you can use to build integrity in your leadership to ultimately build trust in those you lead.

1.) Talk and get to know the people that surround you.

2.) Find ways to get honest feedback from others (leaders or individuals). You need to find out you have the appropriate level of trust. Integrity stands as a driver of trust.

Be willing to have people provide honest feedback and allow those to call you out and be honest. Follow through with your intentions. Your trusted advisers are the people who will tell you whether you’re acting within integrity or whether there’s a better way that you could have handled the situation.

As for building your integrity and modeling it for others:

1. Achieve your promise(s). Follow through with the actions.

To your staff, your investors, your associates, everyone you are involved with in the organization you lead and are part of your life. If you break a promise, you should be honest and apologize for not following through, don’t let this become a pattern.

2. Keep appointments.

Doing so affects you professionally and personally (practice your faith, stay fit (physically and mentally), being present for family and friends, coworkers, etc.).

3. Before you make the commitment.

Ask yourself to reflect on whether you are 100 percent sure you can and will deliver.

4. Get comfortable with being honest if you cannot and saying no.

No one can say yes to everything and follow through on it all. Accept what is right for you and the organization you lead, its mission.

5. Consider the skills you need to enhance your integrity.

Growth provides opportunities. You might need to stop certain responses or reactions (for example, speaking impulsively or sugarcoating your responses or even giving what you believe the other person needs for a response).

Take great care with the language you use. The words you use determine your focus. You want to be open to feedback and communication and not close the door.

8. Avoid individuals who lack integrity.

Do not do business nor associate with them. It’s especially important not to make excuses for them. It’s important to realize that people pay attention to those you associate with, and they will inevitably make a quick decision on your character by the character of your friends.

Integrity is following through with who you really are.

Now think of the ways you can make a impact in your leadership and life.

Seeking to increase your integrity for ultimate life fulfillment?

Join me at Ack Professional International and learn more about you and follow through being the person you are meant to be. Listen to our session on Aura Health HQ.

Schedule a complimentary no obligation discovery session by contact us at AckProfessional@outlook.com

Be the best version of you.