Let’s make one thing clear.
Integrity used to be ‘doing the right thing even when no one is watching.’
Today everybody’s watching everything.
All the time.
Stuff doesn’t get swept under the rug anymore.
If you can swallow this truth, then you’ll be just fine.
Now, let’s talk about building a sustainable, bulletproof moral compass for your business and your life.
As a leader, you need to be the thermostat for the company when it comes to integrity.
A thermometer takes the temperature of a room, whereas a thermostat sets the temperature.
Your words and your actions create a climate that everyone in the company lives in.
"Leading by example isn't the best way to lead, it's the only way to lead."-Vince Lombardi
Integrity is not easy.
You need self-awareness and it starts with having a North Star.
What’s your North Star?
What do you stand for?
What’s your purpose?
When you’re not clear and intentional on it, you’ve got a snowball chance in hell to be consistent and do what’s right when put in a sticky situation.
How do you decide on the best course of action when everyone in the company brings their individual opinions and biases to the table?
In a group dynamic, you need to create an agreed-upon and shared worldview, through which all your decisions can be filtered.
In walks Horst Schultze.
"We are Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies and Gentlemen."-Horst Schultze
When I saw this line it took my breath away.
Punchy and clear.
It encapsulates everything without BS and corporate jargon.
It communicates WHY and explains HOW.
Rather than a long list of things to do, this short mission statement reminds you how to think, act and communicate.
No wonder folks at Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company are doing such an outstanding job.
It’s not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are.
To serve ladies and gentlemen, you must observe and try to anticipate what might be needed, and your actions must be performed as a lady or as a gentleman would perform them, with care, respect and charm.
If you’re not so fortunate to work under Horst Schultze and you don't know how to act, follow FBI Special Agent (Ret.) Joe Navarro’s invaluable guidance for becoming the best version of yourself.
It boils down to four questions that hit harder than Muhammad Ali’s fists.
Joe's typing now:
So, if there’s no master book of rules or procedures, and in the absence of a personal motto, then what do we do?
In my FBI career, decisions were often made simpler because of rigid boundaries of comportment.
One merely had to ask, is it within the law?
Is it ethical?
Will it stand up to judicial scrutiny or Department of Justice guidelines?
But in life, we don’t always have those kinds of institutional criteria.
The Ethical Action Protocol is a series of four questions that I’ve found useful in weighing the appropriateness of actions under consideration:
Do my actions and behavior build trust?
Do my actions and behavior add value?
Do my actions and behavior positively influence or inspire?
Are my actions and behavior prosocial?
Boom.
Think of those questions as a compass for every action you take and the culture you’re working to build.
They’ll help you consciously and consistently act with integrity.
Bluntly refuse to be compromised.
Reputation is the only thing that matters.
Amen to that.
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