From the course: Best Practices for New People Leaders

Stand in your integrity

From the course: Best Practices for New People Leaders

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Stand in your integrity

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- As young people, teachers and parents talk about integrity as an important trait of the adults we should aspire to be. But as you grow up, fewer and fewer people are rooted in integrity. It is so easy to be tempted by that easy fix even if it means sacrificing a little bit to get there. But if you've had a leader with integrity you'll always remember them as a quality leader. You may say, "That person is a person "of integrity, I trust them completely." I want to share with you the importance of always acting with integrity as a way to ensure your team trusts you and thinks that you're a leader worth following. Acting with integrity can certainly be difficult. You know the difference between right and wrong when it's black and white, but many of us struggle in the shades of gray zone. Navigating through the gray means you'll need to trust your inner moral compass. We all have it, but we don't all listen to it. And when dealing with challenging situations make your intentions and rationale clear to your team. This way, even if they don't agree with all of the decisions you make, they can feel confident that you acted with good intentions and for the right reasons. Your people will naturally trust you when they see you're a person of integrity. Having their confidence in you is critical to leading a team, especially in challenging times. As a leader, you will make public decisions daily whether in a meeting, or one-on-one. If your decisions are based on integrity your people will recognize it and trust you. It's especially important to make the right decision when you think no one's looking because someone usually is. Even if it's returning earbuds or a wallet that you found someone left in the lunchroom you can choose to take it to the lost and found or you can decide to keep it. You think no one's looking and it won't matter but it does, it always does. Integrity is the center of all intentions, thoughts and actions, having a strong moral compass will give you a reputation that will go far beyond your immediate and current employees. So, put honesty and truth at the forefront of all of your decisions as a leader and how you treat others. To start, think about a time when you faced a decision in the "gray zone area," what did you do? Do you wish you would have done anything differently? Then make a plan for how you might face that decision with more honesty in the future. It's never too late to become the leader you want to be remembered as.

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