How do we Understand Integrity?

Integrity is a term we come across every day,in our personal and business lives too. Surprisingly, integrity is not a word many people take their time to think about how it impacts their everyday decisions. So, what is integrity? In the dictionary, integrity means completeness, soundness, and wholeness. In layman terms, it can be defined as the ability to maintain consistency in everything one does. Basically, a person with integrity acts with honesty and adheres to ethical principles when going about his or her duties and responsibilities. Integrity is a quality just like intelligence and courage. As an individual, you can choose to live by this value. By doing so, you define your personality and character. Also, integrity helps you to enhance other values. It is the attribute that supports other values and guides you to live by them. Lets assume you own a car. Ask yourself this, what type of driver are you? Are you the kind of driver who drives aggressively while honking your horn at other drivers and road users? Or are you the type of driver who respects other drivers by driving carefully? I hope you are the latter because the former is more of a jerk and that is not the best way to go through life. Here is another example. You are the founder or co-founder of your company. As a CEO, you have the obligation of steering your company to success. There comes a time when the global economy affects your business. As a result, sales decline and you know what that means - reduced profits. In this situation, you are faced with several dilemmas. Should you fire your workers or should you ask them to take a pay cut? Should you communicate the troubles your business is going through or should you not? As a CEO, it is important to communicate to your employees the troubles you are facing. Yes, there is a chance that some employees will abandon ship in search of greener pastures but I guarantee you, the best will stick with you. Want to know why? You were honest. By communicating clearly and frequently, your employees are likely to accept your turnaround plan. This works perfectly for you as it gives you a chance to save your company with the full support of your employees. From the examples above, it is clear that integrity leads to smart decision making. Driving less aggressively eliminates the chances of getting into an accident. Also, it leaves you relaxed. When it comes to business, integrity leads to success and stability. How? A management that communicates clearly and frequently with employees helps to create a stable environment. Even if the company is in trouble, employees will be informed of the problems and even about the turnaround plan. Also, employees get treated fairly. To sum up, integrity is a crucial value that people should cultivate to succeed in their personal and professional lives. If you want to lead a happy and successful life, you need to do and act honestly. This is the same in business. If you conduct your business activities with honesty and trust between you and your employees, achieving success is easy.

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