Whether you’re an employer, employee, or on the road to employment, integrity has an impact on your position. Depending on your encounters and experiences, integrity might have various definitions to you, but, the one that seems to encompass the idea best is this: “moral uprightness”.
Integrity seems to have a certain ambiguity to it. Businessmen and women seem to know it’s necessary, but possibly haven’t experienced an accurate representation that embodies what it should look like. Even the definition above, “moral uprightness” doesn’t mean the same thing for every individual. The point of having integrity, though, is that the actions you take do not change depending on the people surrounding you. You believe what you believe regarding what is honest and just to the same degree at all times.
Integrity is not invisible. The leaders that practice it are the leaders you respect because they exhibit transparency and authenticity. It stems from things like honesty, reliability, and consistency. This process begins internally and is then displayed through your actions. Because of this, integrity in the workplace can be extremely difficult to achieve if it is not already present in other areas of your life.
Integrity has a presence on multiple levels, but regardless of where you’re lacking…check it on a personal level first. Don’t discredit your personal feelings in hopes of blocking them out of your professional life. Instead, deal with them in hopes of being more present in all areas, especially your professional life. Recognize that eventually, these issues will come to light in your workplace (if they haven’t already), making it critical to deal with them first and foremost.
When you put integrity at the top of your priorities, people around you will be able to tell. It is an excellent and necessary quality in a leader of any kind. Even if you don’t consider your current position one of leadership, practicing this could very well lead to one sooner than you think. Remaining consistent and honest throughout your career will lead to more successful interviews, respect from coworkers and bosses, and eventually aid you in landing that promotion you’ve been working towards.
