All of us want to live a life that is authentic. We also want to live a life full of integrity. Then there’s living a life full of purpose. We know these three things can be guiding lights for us personally and professionally.
However, I’ve seen many leaders side-step these areas of their personal and professional lives. They see a shortcut and they take it. No one will know, they think.
It may be true. No one may ever discover what you did under the cover of darkness. You may never be exposed for taking advantage of your employees, organization, or friends.
But those things still happened.
Photo by Denys Nevozhai on Unsplash
You’ve broken the trust of the people you love and care about. You’ve tarnished your reputation. You’ve become the laughingstock of your industry.
All because you decided to do the wrong thing.
I hope the above doesn’t describe you. It’s a difficult path to walk down. It’s hard to reconcile past actions with a new future.
That’s why leaders have to lead with integrity and purpose. That’s why I’m delivering these tips to you today. I want you to be a leader who isn’t ashamed of the actions they took. I want you to be a leader who can say I led with integrity. I led with purpose.
Tips On Leading With Integrity And Purpose
Admit your mistakes:
To live and lead with integrity, be willing to own up to your mistakes. We’ll often tell our people that it’s okay to make mistakes. Everyone does. Own it.
When it comes to our own mistakes? We try to hide them. We brush them under the rug. We pray no one will discover our hidden failures.
Stop it!
Instead, admit your mistakes. Own your failures. Let others see that you’re not perfect.
By doing this, you allow others to see a side of leadership that most are never able to see.
Be accountable:
In many churches, they encourage their people to have an accountability partner. An accountability partner is a person who will ask the tough questions about their actions. Have you been looking at porn? What does your time with God look like? Who is pouring into your life?
These questions make people reflect on their current actions to someone they’re accountable to. What if leaders had accountability partners?
It would be game-changing.
Leaders would be able to be open and vulnerable, even, to someone else. This accountability partner can then help you walk through your struggles. More than that, they can help you understand when you’ve veered off-course and waded into murky waters.
Stand up for what’s right:
There are moral and ethical standards we should all uphold. But what happens when someone goes against what’s right?
A leader who leads with integrity will hold those people accountable and advocate for what’s right. They will not sit by passively while wrong is being done in their organization.
When you see something wrong, say something. Be a leader who takes a stand.
Do what you say you will do:
We’ve all been in organizations where someone in a leadership position will say something but never follow through. If you haven’t experienced this before, count yourself lucky.
But we can do the same thing. We will tell someone we’ll take care of or do something and then we forget.
Uh oh…
That’s an integrity issue.
Make sure you’re following through with the things you say you’ll do. You might have to take notes, set calendar reminders, or some other means to remember.
Doing this shows people you are a man or woman of your word.
Integrity Matters
Integrity matters. Your actions will say a lot about you. They will tell others whether or not they can trust you.
What you just read is a starting point for leading with integrity and purpose. You will have to add additional ways to your repertoire.
The more you practice these actions, the better you’ll get. The more people will trust you.
Let’s lead with integrity.
