Leaders must establish consistent, fair and equitable (NOT
equal) guidelines that are well-defined and clearly communicated as the litmus
test for decisions they make – regardless of whether “anyone is watching” or
not. People are far more likely to see
what you do than hear what you say in life – and a reputation is much easier to
maintain than it is to regain. Employees
(or those seeking work) must identify and present truth over fiction, reality
over desires and an honest appraisal of what they can do over what they feel
they might be able to do when seeking advancement or fulfillment. Managers must communicate openly and honestly
as well or even the best qualified candidate may choose to leave if the “pain
of remaining” is a greater motivator to change than the apprehension of starting
over is a motivator to stay – particularly within an economy that has more jobs
available than qualified candidates to fill them. Far too many of the ethical shortcomings within
today’s world have their roots in a lack of open and honest communication –
people or business seeing what they can get away with rather than doing what
they know is right – as they seek the fulfillment of self-serving values and
the rewards of self-elevating accomplishments rather than the sustainability of
shared goals and objectives.
People often find themselves in an uncomfortable position if
they have communicated a partial truth, remained silent on an important aspect
or condition, or failed to tell the “why” when issuing instruction or
correction rather than openly and honestly telling the entire and absolute
truth. We are a risk averse culture, avoiding
situations where the potential of loss is great EVEN IF the possibility of gain
is immense, hesitant to create (or even engage in) confrontation. While some say that “silence is golden,” it
can far more frequently be “deadly” than blissful. When attempting to build (or retain)
integrity, refusing to talk about an issue does not resolve it nor make it go
away – it simply allows the underlying “reason” for conflict to grow and
establish itself. When individuals
mistakenly believe that avoiding an issue will make it go away they are shocked
and disappointed when the minor complications they may have been avoiding become
un-navigable (and uncharted) waters that tear and destroy everything in their
path. It is far easier to talk about
minor issues when they arise (building credibility, respect and integrity) than
it is to continually ignore situations (eventually turning a “mole hill” into a
mountain). Leaders often must sacrifice the “popular” card in favor of one that
promotes quiet respect – must walk away from being “one of the gang” to being
the one who provides the gang with mission, vision and ongoing support.
There is a fine line between being confident and being cocky
– between being considered essential and invaluable in the eyes of others and
establishing your own value and importance (then trying to convince others that
your personal beliefs and expectations are more valuable than theirs). Far too many good leaders fail to become
great because they put themselves before the wishes and needs of those around
them – placing more importance upon their individual “good works” than on the
accomplishments of those they lead. When
individuals in a position of power allow their personal influence to rise to
the surface, effectively filtering the light from around and beneath them,
others will be stifled rather than celebrated.
Humility is far more frequently the foundation of a great
leader than loud or abrasive bluster. Honesty
is far easier to maintain than a series of twisted or convoluted lies. While one may find joy in the journey when
seeking personal gain and rewards, rarely will long-term, sustainable integrity
be found by forcing others to move in a defined manner to a contrived
destination that benefits one party to the detriment of another. Too many relationships are damaged because
one individual places his or her personal “wants” above those of another. We often fail to realize (or even recognize) that
IF we truly and sincerely care for others by helping them accomplish their
objectives and meet their needs (NOT accomplishing their goals or meeting their
objectives FOR them), others will have the time (and probably the propensity)
to support and care for us as well. The
part about building (and maintaining) integrity, however, would dictate that we
help others without expecting anything in return – accepting any “return on our
investment” only as an unanticipated benefit that encourages us to grow.
