Integrity: Leading According to Values

Volume #6 - January 2000

Much of the news in US papers for the past month has focused on our upcoming presidential primaries. As we watch politics unfold, one of the key aspects of a leader's ability that we assess is his or her integrity.

Who's telling the truth and who isn't? Who is willing to admit mistakes and who isn't? Who is acting according to his or her deeply held beliefs and who is being swayed by the party or the polls?

When we assess our leaders in the workplace we use the same criteria. We want to know that our leaders aren't pretending, that they are being loyal to who they are as people, that they are operating with the highest degrees of integrity. Therefore, when we begin looking at our own leadership, one of the first questions we can ask ourselves is: Are we being true to who we are? Are we leading according to our own value system?

Are we operating on a day-to-day basis with the utmost integrity?

Successful women have told me that a key to navigating the business world is to identify two or three core values and use them as guides to determine what you will and won't do on your journey through the business world. Teresa Wahlert, a vice president at US WEST, offers this piece of sage advice: "Continuously soul-search as to what your own value set is and what your own personal feelings are. And do not let yourself get out of balance. Unhappiness and drastic changes in life styles and careers tend to force themselves on you when you don't have yourself in good alignment. Keep two or three values that you won't compromise no matter what. Be very mindful of what they are and how your career and your choices in life impact them."

Her advice was echoed by another member of the US WEST family. Teresa Elder, who is now a vice president of operations at MediaOne, emphasized the importance of being true to yourself. She said, "It sounds trite, but I'm more successful the truer I am to who I am. You can't pretend to be something you're not."

In describing the characteristics that have been important to her success, Elder says she has a reputation for honesty and candor. She believes that it makes good business sense to operate in an open environment in which people can admit their mistakes and acknowledge when they don't know the answer. A pivotal experience she had as a sales manager taught her the power of honesty. One of her sales reps had been called on the carpet by a senior executive, and she had accompanied the rep to the meeting. When the angry exec accused them of not knowing a thing about the account, Elder told him he was , explained the situation, and asked for his help. She said his behavior immediately changed, and from that point forward she has maintained a wonderful relationship with him.

Pointing out that no one is perfect, Elder says if a leader admits making a mistake or being wrong, she not only gains credibility but also helps to create an open, honest culture. "I model the behavior I'm seeking," she says.

Gender can influence the way we behave and affect our ability to develop our leadership strengths. For instance, at one end of the spectrum are men who find it extremely threatening to admit that they have ever made a mistake, while at the other end are women who will tell you the details of every mistake they have ever made. One group is afraid of appearing vulnerable, the other of appearing powerful. The key to acting with integrity in leadership is to operate with both humility and strength, to build trust by telling the truth, and to act according to your deepest beliefs.

COACHING QUESTIONS ON INTEGRITY AND VALUES

1. What are the two or three core values by which you live and work?
2. If you don't know what your core values are, what can you do to begin getting in touch with what is most important to you?
3. Are you presently working in alignment with your core values? If not, what steps can you take to get back in synch?
4. Are you operating at the highest level of integrity that you can? If not, what's keeping you from being the best person you can be?
5. Do you have trouble owning your mistakes? What does making a mistake mean to you? What can you do to give yourself permission to make mistakes?
6. Do you talk about your mistakes to the appropriate people with the appropriate amount of candor? There is a difference between being honest and inappropriately exposing your errors. If you have a tendency to "confess all your sins" what can you do to create proper boundaries for yourself?

Copy © 2000-2002 Virginia O'Brien All s Reserved

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