Name a characteristic more commonly claimed than integrity. Nearly every leader, coach, politician, teacher, boss, and business says they operate on a foundation of integrity. But what really is it? How do you measure it? And who really does it?
Integrity comes from the Latin word integritas which means “to be whole, complete, or consistent”. Integrity is achieved by anyone who acts according to values and principles they claim to hold. Integrity is abandoned by anyone who claims a principle they don’t live.
The simple skill of integrity is to choose what you believe, set your standards, and act in total alignment. What beliefs you choose and what standards you set are entirely up to you.
Self-awareness
What do you believe? Do you really believe that? Prove it. Or drop the belief and stop misrepresenting yourself.
Self-discipline
Does your behavior match your stated and unstated beliefs? The most important act of integrity, the only true form of integrity, is to align your attitude, action, and words. It most likely involves raising the standard of certain actions to match your words and lowering certain words to match action you’re willing to do.
Self-confidence
Will you live with the consequences of your beliefs and behaviors? Many values and principles sound good in conversation and look good in a quote, but become difficult to live by in the moment. When you’re self-aware of your beliefs and self-disciplined in your action, self-confidence naturally flows, whether dealing in victory or in defeat.
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