Integrity At Its Best

Do you follow your moral and ethical convictions and do the right thing in all circumstances even if no one is watching? 
Or do you pretend to have integrity and strong moral and ethical convictions to gain people’s trust yet your intentions are everything but that?

Your integrity says a lot about your character and will certainly affect your reputation whether in your personal or professional life.

I have come across people in my life that have true integrity – it shines bright in all they do. They are honest and authentic, people you know are dependable and have your back.  I have also come across people that pretend to have integrity, and unless you look carefully enough, you may not see the real truth. 

How do you distinguish?

Well, it brings me back to trust and how having integrity is a key ingredient.  Can you believe someone has integrity without also feeling a level of trust in them?  

In a work environment, Harvard Manage Mentor states that a person’s “good characterâ€Â and “competenceâ€Â equals trust.  So let’s break that down a bit more here:

A blurry image of the sky with clouds.

So, when you question someone’s integrity, take a step back and look at the bigger picture.  

Is this person trustworthy?  Do they possess the attributes necessary for them to earn your trust and belief they have integrity?

In the end, an individual with integrity is the remedy to self-interest. Individuals with true integrity have good intentions and are not there to sabotage others.  They are sincere and credible.  They show countless examples of integrity in their everyday life.

  • How do you show you have true integrity?
  • Do people trust you?
  • Do they believe your intentions are there to help and support?

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As a leader of people, having integrity is perhaps the single most important attribute of leadership because it demands truthfulness and honesty. This can be difficult or uncomfortable at times and lend itself to short cuts that jeopardize your integrity. To help you stay on course, remember the old Japanese proverb:

“The reputation of a thousand years may be determined by the conduct of one hour.”

​https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/integrity-its-best-jennifer-miraglia/

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JM Consulting Group, LLC