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February 23, 2020
Integrity is essentially below the surface. It is the root system out of which everything else grows. Intent becomes somewhat more visible. It is the trunk that emerges from beneath the surface out into the open. Capabilities are the branches. They are the capacities that enable us to produce. Results are the fruits—the visible, tangible, measurable outcomes that are most easily seen and evaluated by others.
“We need to be credible as an organization. We need to ensure that customers understand our reputation around integrity. We need to declare our intent to help them win. We need to show them our capabilities to add value to their organizations. We need to demonstrate our results and track record to them so that they will stay with us.
think of a man or woman of integrity as someone who is balanced and complete, with high character. A person of principle.
The problem in organizations, however, is that many “ethics” solutions focus on compliance. The compliance definition of “ethics” is not one of integrity or integratedness; it is a watered-down, devalued definition that essentially means “follow the rules.”
Rules cannot take the place of character.
It’s a psychological issue—an absence of core values, confusion about what is the right thing to do.
don’t see a lot of them saying that they’re going to work to be extremely clear about what their values are, and give people training on how those values translate into actual behavior.
“Integrity has no need of rules.”
Certainly integrity includes honesty—telling the truth and leaving the right impression. But there are at least three additional qualities that are equally vital.
A person has integrity when there is no gap between intent and behavior . . . when he or she is whole, seamless, the same—inside and out. I call this “congruence.”
People who are congruent act in harmony with their deepest values and beliefs.
The voice they listen and respond to is the quiet voice of conscience.
When you consistently demonstrate inner congruence to your belief system and to principles, you inspire trust in both professional and personal relationships.
Humility. Integrity also includes humility.
Compared to high-profile leaders with big personalities who make headlines and become celebrities, the good-to-great leaders seem to have come from Mars. Self-effacing, quiet, reserved, even shy— these leaders are a paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will. They are more like Lincoln and Socrates than Patton or Caesar[emphasis added].
A humble person is more concerned about what is right than about being right, about acting on good ideas than having the ideas, about embracing new truth than defending outdated position, about building the team than exalting self, about recognizing contribution than being recognized for making it.
Being humble does not mean being weak, reticent, or self-effacing. It means recognizing principle and putting it ahead of self.
Humble people can negotiate intensely. They can drive hard bargains. They can express themselves firmly and clearly in intense situat...
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Courage. Integrity also includes the courage to do the right thing—even when it’s hard.
To see this kind of courage in the lives of those around us inspires us all to be more courageous.
So how do we go about increasing our integrity?
First, we need to consider what degree of integrity we currently have.
Do I genuinely try to be honest in all my interactions with others? • Do I typically “walk my talk”? • Am I clear on my values? Do I feel comfortable in standing up for them? • Am I open to the possibility of learning new truths that may cause me to rethink issues or even redefine my values? • Am I able to consistently make and keep commitments to myself?
1. Make and Keep Commitments to Yourself
There is absolutely nothing you can do that will increase integrity faster than learning how to make and keep commitments to yourself.
Every time we make and keep a commitment to ourselves—large or small—we increase our self-confidence.
Second, treat a commitment you make to yourself with as much respect as you do the commitments you make to others.
Third, don’t make commitments impulsively.
2. Stand for Something
You need to know what you stand for and you need to stand for it, so that others know, too.
My word was my bond.”
Who you are, what your values are, what you stand for . . . They are your anchor, your north star. You won’t find them in a book. You’ll find them in your soul.
3. Be Open You’ve probably been around people
you consider close-minded or arrogant—people who don’t really listen to you because they think there’s nothing you could say they don’t already know;
Openness is vital to integrity.
“[H]e who cannot change the very fabric of his thought will never be able to change reality, and will never, therefore, make any progress.”
To be open inspires credibility and trust; to be closed fosters suspicion and mistrust. As you evaluate your own openness, you might ask yourself: • Do I believe that the way I see the world is totally accurate and complete—or am I honestly willing to listen to and consider new viewpoints and ideas? • Do I seriously consider differing points
of view (from a boss, direct report, team member, spouse, or child), and am I willing to be influenced by them? • Do I believe there may be principles that I have not yet discovered? Am I determined to live in harmony with them, even if it means developing new thinking patterns and habits? • Do I value—and am I involved in—continual learning?
The greater your integrity—the more honest, congruent, humble, and courageous you are—the more credibility you will have and the more trust you will inspire.
The more you will be able to transform
trust taxes into trust dividends in every dimensi...
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CORE 2—INTENT WHAT’S YOUR AGENDA? In law, a man is guilty when he violates the rights of another. In ethics, he is guilty if he only thinks of doing so.
Intent matters.
People often distrust us because of the conclusions they draw about what we do. • It is important for us to actively influence the conclusions others draw by “declaring our intent.”
As illustrated in the tree metaphor, intent is represented by the trunk—partly unseen underground, partly visible above.
While our motives and agendas are deep inside in our own hearts and minds, they become visible to others through our behaviors and as we share them with others.
Like each of the other cores, intent is vital to trust. A person with integrity, capability, and results—but poor intent—would be someone who is honest and has capabili...
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As we prepare to explore the issue of intent, you may want to ask yourself questions such as the following: • How often do I discount (or “tax”) what someone says because I am suspicious about that person’s intent? • What kind of tax is my organization paying because employees don’t trust management’s intent? What is the impact on speed and cost? • What kind of tax are we paying as a team because we are suspicious of one another’s motives? • What kind of tax am I paying because people question my own intent? • What can I do to improve and better communicate my intent?
intent is defined as “plan” or “purpose.”
no discussion of intent would be complete without talking about three things: motive, agenda, and behavior.
