Embracing Authentic Integrity
Being authentic means being genuine and beyond dispute. Integrity entails honesty and strong moral principles. Therefore, authentic integrity simply means unquestionable honesty. For a leader aspiring to create a strong culture of trust, committing to this attribute is essential.
Authentic integrity in leadership refers to the alignment of actions, words, and values. In simple terms, it means being honest in everything you do—in all interactions and decisions. When you are true to yourself and your principles, you foster trust and respect throughout your organization.
Having authentic integrity is non-negotiable for leaders; it is the foundation upon which respect is earned, trust is built, and loyalty is reciprocated. For supervisors, embracing authentic integrity is essential, as your actions influence the daily operations and ethical behavior of your team. Your commitment to honesty and moral principles sets the standard, fostering a culture of accountability and mutual respect.
“Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.”
Self-Assessment
Embracing Authentic Integrity
Please take a few moments to contemplate the following self-reflection questions. Where can you identify opportunities for personal growth in your leadership?
Do I consistently follow through on my promises and commitments?
Can people rely on me to be dependable and trustworthy?
Am I honest and transparent in my communications, even when the truth is difficult to share?
Do I openly admit my mistakes and take responsibility for my actions?
Are my actions and decisions aligned with my personal values?
Am I a role model for integrity and ethical behavior to my team?
Do I regularly reflect on my behavior and seek feedback from others to improve my integrity?
Do I maintain my integrity under pressure or in difficult situations?
Remember, this self-assessment is just a starting point for understanding your knowledge of Authentic Integrity as a leader. It's essential to reflect on your responses and actively work on areas where improvement is needed. Additionally, seeking feedback from others and working with your ECFL Leadership Coach can provide valuable insights into your strengths and weaknesses.
Integrity requires being honest and consistently upholding strong moral and ethical values. To better understand the influence of leadership on ethics and honesty, we can examine data from research shared by Harvard Business Review. The data, collected from 5,268 leaders across five organizations, categorizes each leader by their management level (e.g., top management, middle management, lower-level management). The accompanying graph illustrates the average performance ratings of all leaders, based on 360 assessments, highlighting the highest- and lowest-rated organizations. In each organization, ratings of honesty and integrity consistently decline at each successive management level.
Two points stand out from this study: managers not only tend to over-report their own integrity, but they also assume higher levels of integrity in their direct reports than the direct reports perceive in themselves. The main takeaway for leaders is that people aren’t reliable self-reporters, and integrity should not be taken as a given. Nor should we assume that effectiveness entails honesty, giving passes to employees solely based on productivity or seniority. Leaders should, instead, take deliberate care to communicate expectations of honesty, establish strong systems to enforce integrity, and reflect on their own standards, ensuring these are well communicated and exemplified.
As leaders advance, the risks and their consequences also escalate, while many previous checks and balances may diminish. Not only do they gain access to larger discretionary funds, but subordinates may be less inclined to voice concerns. Since decisions are geared towards long-term objectives rather than immediate concerns, the consequences are not always apparent right away. The research shows that integrity standards truly rise—and fall—from the top.
Remember that demonstrating integrity through honesty starts with everyday actions, such as the comments you make in daily interactions. As you read through the following statements, assess your level of honesty and integrity, using a scale of "always," "sometimes," or "not very often":
Do you:
Give credit where credit is due?
Establish honest, two-way communication with colleagues?
Hold a strong sense of right and wrong, striving to do what's right?
Set high personal standards of integrity?
Show up ready to work and engage fully for all eight hours?
Keep your word on all matters?
Actively model honesty for teammates and family?
Return phone calls and emails in a timely manner?
Promise only what you can deliver?
Show respect for others’ ideas?
Work as a team, honoring others' contributions?
Or do you:
Make promises you may not be able to keep?
Let integrity take a backseat when pursuing goals?
Arrive roughly on time and leave as soon as you can?
Overstate your contribution to appear more valuable?
Hold ethical standards different from your organization?
Rationalize questionable behavior when the ends seem to justify the means?
Achieve work tasks that mostly benefit your personal life?
How did you do?
“They’re certainly entitled to think that, and they’re entitled to full respect for their opinions... but before I can live with other folks I’ve got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.”
Did you know?
Many companies have added a new item to their pre-hire employee packets: integrity tests. These tests are designed to see how their new candidate responds to questions about honesty. As the name implies, integrity tests evaluate an individual's reliability, honesty, and ethical mindset. They’re goal is to gauge a candidate's likelihood of engaging in unethical behaviors such as stealing, cheating, or lying.
These tests are given to all new employees to assess their level of and commitment to honesty. By using these types of assessments for job candidates, companies not only let their future employees know that they value honesty but also remind their current employees of what is important in the leadership’s eyes. The message is clear: honesty is a core value that the company looks for in all its employees.
Donnie Smith, former CEO of Tyson Foods, highlights the significance of using straightforward and honest language, especially when describing organizational performance and accepting constructive criticism. During challenging times, it can be tempting to spin bad news positively; however, effective leaders build solid reputations by consistently addressing both the good and bad aspects of their company rather than distorting the truth. Consistency is key—it fosters a reputation of trustworthiness.
When a leader creates an environment that welcomes respectful disagreement, they maintain high morale and strong team relationships. Leaders who discourage pushback miss critical insights about their organization, limiting decision-making abilities and isolating valuable perspectives.
Leaders need honest input from their teams during both successes and challenges, and this only happens when fear of retaliation is eliminated. Leaders must set the standard by creating opportunities for feedback, even if the feedback is difficult to hear. Approaching honesty and feedback this way encourages deeper insights and supports mature decision-making.
To excel in your leadership journey, maintaining high integrity is essential in creating a culture of trust. By modeling honesty and upholding ethical standards, you cultivate an environment of reliability and respect, where relationships flourish and overall morale and productivity grow. Remember, this starts with your everyday actions, attitudes, and behaviors, especially when you demonstrate these consistently.
Best Practices for Embracing Authentic Integrity:
Take responsibility for your actions and lead by example. Be punctual, reliable, and professional in all your dealings.
Be transparent by openly communicating about decisions, policies, and changes, sharing “the why” behind decisions.
Make promises you can keep—if you say you will do something, ensure you follow through.
Admit mistakes by openly acknowledging errors and taking responsibility, showing that it’s okay to make mistakes as long as you learn from them.
Treat everyone fairly and consistently by ensuring respect and fairness without favoritism or bias.
Give credit where it’s due, acknowledging and celebrating others’ achievements and contributions.
Maintain confidentiality by respecting others’ privacy and handling sensitive information carefully.
Uphold ethical standards by making decisions that are both beneficial and ethically sound, avoiding any actions that compromise integrity.
Encourage open communication to create an environment where people feel safe to speak up, share ideas, and voice concerns without fear of retaliation.
Seek feedback and remain open to suggestions for improvement, showing that you value input and are committed to personal growth.
Strengthen your understanding of Integrity by sticking with the following resources. Use this opportunity to note new insights and adhere to practices that will enhance your leadership journey.
Honesty in the Workplace
Ankit Jain
7 Examples of Ethics in the Workplace
from Indeed.com
The Role of Honesty in Success (And Why Cutting Corners is a Bad Idea)
Kate Vitasek