Integrity: A Mountain With No Top

There are many different attributes to leadership, but probably none so important as integrity. Dwight Eisenhower famously once referenced the quality when he said, “Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office.”

What exactly is integrity? The generally accepted definition of integrity as it applies to leadership is “doing the right thing”. Of course this definition creates all kinds of questions, like who is defining what’s right and what’s wrong? I’m sure most of our politicians believe they’re doing the right thing, but many citizens ardently believe otherwise. Is integrity a purely subjective quality that lays in the eye of the beholder?

A couple of years ago, an executive coach introduced me to a new way of thinking about integrity as it applies to leadership. The new model lacks the subjectivity that muddies the traditional definition, and when used, it can immediately increase a person’s leadership ability. On top of that, it’s such a straightforward concept that even a child can understand why it works. The downside to this integrity model is that it’s almost impossible to master. Additionally, if you approach it from a cost-benefit analysis, you’re practically sure to end up on the wrong side of the balance sheet.

The newer integrity model originates from a popular self-help workshop started in the early 1970s. Founded by Werner Erhard, EST was a two-day session designed to jolt people into examining their lives from a different perspective. EST was considered controversial by many due to its unconventional practices, such as instructors yelling at participants, and in the 1980s, EST morphed into a more mainstream organization called Landmark. Landmark is still around today, and its Landmark Forum workshop is available in many cities.

Werner Erhard left EST when it transitioned into Landmark, but he partnered with several notable academics to continue his research into leadership and the human experience. Werner’s concept of integrity has continued to evolve since the early days of EST, but it’s fundamentally still an incredibly simple idea.

Honor your word.

Here’s how it works. This form of integrity is about being whole and complete, rather than right or wrong. Let’s use a bicycle wheel as an analogy. If we picture a bike wheel, it’s a central hub supporting an outer ring with spokes. We know that if we remove a bunch of spokes from a wheel, it’s not as strong, the integrity of the wheel impacted. When all of the spokes are present, then we could say the wheel is “whole and complete,” or it possesses integrity. When something has a high degree of integrity, it maximizes the opportunity for performance. We can go faster and more safely on a bike that has wheels with all of the spokes intact.

When we apply this definition of integrity (being whole and complete) to leadership, it means we’re going to honor our word. Honoring our word is doing what we say we’re going to do and when we say we’re going to do it. Doing what you say you’re going to do isn’t always possible, and when you can’t keep your word, you must clean up the mess you’ve created with people.

Think about it. Have you ever had a manager who promised you something they never delivered? It could have been a promotion, a pay raise, or even something small like getting back to you on a decision. If you’re like me, then over time, you might have lost some trust or respect for this person. On the flip side, what about the manager who always comes through for you? The leader who never forgot their promises no matter how small? I’m going to bet that you trusted this person and respected what they told you.

When you practice integrity, you will earn the trust and respect of your team. Your subordinates may not always agree with you, but they’ll know you’re a person of your word.

Since being introduced to Werner’s model of leadership, I’ve incorporated integrity into every facet of my life. I don’t claim to have achieved mastery by any stretch of the imagination, but it has made me much more aware of the things I promise people, even small things like “I’ll send you a link to the website.” I believe this increased awareness has made me a better leader, friend, and partner.

One potentially negative outcome is that I’ve become impatient with folks who don’t honor their word, especially with my peers in leadership positions. I have little sympathy for out of integrity colleagues who are either too forgetful or busy to follow through on the things they said they’d do.

It sounds easy, but as Werner puts it, “integrity is a mountain with no top.” As soon as you’ve reached a certain level of integrity, you’ll find other areas of the levels of your life that are out of integrity. Maybe you told yourself that you’d go to the gym three times a week or that you promised someone that they could borrow a book. These things may sound trivial, but to maximize your opportunity for performance, you must be as whole and complete as possible. But remember, honoring your word doesn’t always mean keeping your word, though that’s what we should always strive to do. If you can’t keep your word, let people know as soon as possible and do your best to rectify the situation with the people you’ve impacted.