Attribute

How to Preserve Your Integrity 

Nancy's boss has just let her know that her client's order is about to leave the company's warehouse. As she picks up the phone to call them, he tells her there's a problem. 

"The shipment was damaged by someone on our warehouse team," he says. "There are some dings, but this shouldn't affect the product's performance. If they complain, we'll blame it on the trucking company that delivered it to us." 

Nancy pauses, feeling uncomfortable. "But didn't our warehouse crew damage the product?" Her boss shrugs. "Yeah, but the customer doesn't know that. I'll just file a claim now, saying it was damaged on delivery. Don't worry, the client won't even notice the damage."  

Nancy's boss walks out and she sits at her desk, unsure what to do. She knows it's dishonest to blame the damage on the trucking company. It's also dishonest to deceive her client and give them a less than perfect product. 

Many of us have to make decisions that define who we are and what we believe in. Most often, the choices we face may seem insignificant. But this doesn't mean that they're not important to us: even the smallest action can have an impact on our self-respect, our integrity, and, ultimately, our reputation. 

You could say that integrity is always doing the right thing, even when no one is looking, and even when the choice isn't easy. Or, you might see integrity as staying true to yourself and your word, even when you're faced with serious consequences for the choices that you're making. 

People with integrity often have the same characteristics: they're humble, they have a strong sense of self, they have high self-esteem, and they're self-confident. These characteristics are important, because, sometimes, you'll be under intense pressure from others to make the wrong choice. 

So, how should Nancy, who we mentioned at  start of this article, have dealt with her boss? She should have dealt with the situation assertively, right away. 

She could have asked for a private meeting and said something like, "I'm worried about this. Even if the product works, the clients will be upset when they see the damage, and they may not want to order from us again. And the shipping company will be annoyed, too, and we use them a lot. Wouldn't it be better to tell the truth?" 

Key Points

Having integrity means that you live in accordance to your deepest values, you're honest with everyone, and you always keep your word. 

Integrity is a highly valued trait. When you live with integrity, you're more likely to be considered for important promotions and leadership positions. 

To develop and protect your integrity, start by identifying your core values. These are the values that you refuse to compromise on, no matter what. Next, analyse every choice you make to ensure that you're doing the right thing. 

Then, develop a culture of integrity around you, work on building your self-confidence and self-esteem, and develop relationships with others who live with integrity. 

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade is a proverbial phrase used to encourage optimism and a positive can-do attitude in the face of adversity or misfortune. Lemons suggest sourness or difficulty in life; making lemonade is turning them into something positive or desirable.

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