Integrity
Definition
The practice of being tenaciously honest, guided by strong personal values
What is it?
Integrity is the regular practice of always telling the truth. A person of integrity lives by a code of ethics and high moral standards that others respect and admire.
Why is it important?
Employers, friends, business colleagues all want to deal with someone who has integrity. If we shade the truth and deceive others, people will quickly learn that we cannot be trusted and they will not want to willingly work with us. Or if we overinflate our strengths or successes, people will eventually discount our abilities.
Suggestions for Improvement
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Create a Personal Mission Statement
One of the best ways to build integrity is first to define the kind of person we want to be. How do we want to be known by others? We should be able to identify three core values that we wish to live out consistently. What are your three most important virtues? Write them down. Get feedback from others. Evaluate your performance regularly to determine if those values are evident in your life.
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Admit Mistakes
Another tip is to make an unwavering commitment to telling the truth – always. We have to resist the urge to cover up our mistakes or blame others for our own shortcomings. Instead we must acknowledge our mistakes and learn from them. Another common temptation is to make ourselves look better than we really are. We should err on the side of humility rather than self-promotion.
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Tell People What You Stand For
Integrity is an inner virtue that is not always evident to those around us. Therefore, it’s important to tell others what we believe in. We need to voice our values. Of course, we need to know what those values are so that we can publicly commit to them. What are your three most important values? Identify them and tell someone today. The accountability will help us stay faithful to the things that mean the most to us.
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