Leadership is a strong word that gets thrown around a lot. Countless books have been written about this topic, and research studies have been conducted on what it means to be a leader. The official definition states leadership as a practical skill encompassing the ability of an individual or organization to “lead” or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. On the surface, that seems simple enough. However, it’s more complicated than you may think.
When I say leader, you probably think of a CEO or President standing up in front of their team or in a conference room. They look strong, confident, and ready to lead their employees to great success. Success in itself can mean different things to different people. In terms of business, it usually means hitting profit goals, achieving sales targets, and growing your customer base.
However, just because you led a team to those achievements does not make you a leader. At the very least, it makes you a good businessman. Being a true leader is not just what you do but how you do it. If you hit all of your goals, but do it by lying to clients or taking advantage of your employees, that is not leadership. Real leadership is powered by integrity.
The official definition of integrity is the practice of being honest and showing consistent and uncompromising adherence to strong moral and ethical principles and values. In simpler terms, it means prioritizing doing the right thing no matter the situation. Having integrity means that success means nothing if you had to compromise fundamental moral and ethical principles to get there. True leadership means leading people by a personal moral code to do what is right.
Infusing integrity into your leadership is easier said than done. The world is filled with people who have made a lot of money by throwing away their morals and doing what is best for the bottom line. As a leader, you may often be tempted to do this to increase profits and hit your targets. Worse off, you may have people in your company or on your board who have no problem operating this way. That is why you must have integrity, but the people you surround yourself with must have it too.
There is nothing wrong with partnering with or hiring ambitious people who want to achieve above-average success. However, before you let those people into your company, you need to understand what is important to them. Profits should be high on anyone’s business list, but it should not come before things like purpose, intention, or ethics. Anyone you hire should be serving your customer first and foremost. Their main concern should be delivering a quality product, not how much money they can get out of this person.
Implementing integrity into your business’s daily practices can be the difference between staying in business for decades or having to shut your doors much earlier than expected. This is because today’s consumer is increasingly conscious about how a company operates, what they stand for, and how they treat their customers. You may be able to turn quick profits by cutting corners or omitting certain truths, but the long term result will be failing to turn first-time customers into long time buyers.
Operating under a moral and ethical code as a company can also be the driving force between having low or high employee turnover. If employees feel they are being asked to go against there own code, they will most likely look to leave your company. If your teams discover that you have been operating unethically to secure sales or increase profits, this will make them increasingly uncomfortable and looking for a way out. Considering it costs thousands of dollars to hire and train one new employee, your lack of integrity will cost you more than you think.
What are some concrete ways you can lead with integrity and ensure the success of your company? First, treat your employees with respect and accept their value. Employees are so much more than individuals that work for you. When they come to work, they are looking for more than just a paycheck. They want to be a part of something meaningful. They want to grow and develop right along with their company.
If you are going hit any of your goals, it will be because your team helped you do it. Therefore, leading them is more than just assigning them targets and encouraging them to hit them. It is about guiding them along the way. It is about teaching them the skills they need to be successful. It also about listening to them to ensure they are satisfied in their work and comfortable in their current situation.
Another way to lead with integrity is to treat your customers like human beings and not dollar signs. Your number one priority as a true leader should be learning your customer’s needs and helping them any way you can. Do not push your most expensive solution onto a client who does not need it. Instead, recommend the product that best serves there needs. Customers appreciate that type of honesty and will reward it with continued business.
Lastly, leading with integrity means standing up for what is right. It also means standing up to someone who is doing wrong. As hard as you try to do the right thing and lead with honor, you will be met with resistance from those who do not see things your way. These are the type of people who operate with a win at all costs mentality. They do not care about doing the right thing. In fact, they will do the wrong thing if it means closing a sale and increasing their profits.
It’s easy to ignore this type of behavior and justify it by saying that at least you are doing the right thing. However, being a leader means making sure everyone is following your lead. You must lead by example. If you have chosen to exemplify leadership powered by integrity, then you must agree that everyone on your team must operate the same way. That is the mark of a real and honorable leader.
Doing the right thing is not always easy. In fact, in today’s cut-throat business world, it is becoming harder and hard to do. However, when you stick to your values, you are putting the best version of yourself out there for others to follow. While this might be difficult at first, you will undoubtedly reap the long term benefits of doing the right thing.
