The generation of leaders emerging now needs to be different. If you are in your twenties and are dissatisfied with the status quo, you can not inspire change unless you exercise Integrity. People will not follow you if you exercise situational Integrity.  Unfortunately, situational Integrity is too prevelant among our leaders today.

The word Integrity comes from the root word – integer.  Integer means whole or pure. That means that part time Integrity is not Integrity. If the only time you exercise Integrity is when there is no risk involved, that is not Integrity.

We discussed Courage as one of the Habits of Character you must develop earlier in the is series (Link). Courage is foundational because you can not be a person of Integrity without it. You must exercise Courage in order to do take action or speak up, even when it could hurt you personally.

Andersons’ Definition of Integrity

Doing what is good, right, and proper even at personal cost.

Three Steps to Exercise Integrity

Being a person of Integrity is hard when you know you must do the right thing “even at personal cost.” The right thing is rarely the easy thing to do. Whether you are in your 50s like me or your 20s like the audience this series is targeting, we all know that Integrity is hard. Yet that is why it is so inspiring!

Here are three steps to exercise Integrity:

1. Know: You must discern the difference between right and wrong. Deep inside, all of us know what we should do in the vast majority of circumstances. That voice in our head is louder for some people than for others. But, it is still there speaking to us.
2. Do:  You must take action on what you’ve discerned – even at personal cost. That is where we can all fail. Do we have the Courage to do the right thing, even if we must sacrifice something to do it? 
3. Say:  You must speak out and say why you took action. Silent Integrity is lacking. The Courage to speak out is what inspires others to follow and begin to make change happen.

“Right is right, even if everyone is against it; wrong is wrong even if everyone is for it.”

– William Penn

Exercises In Integrity

Examples:

• Admit when you have screwed something up instead of shifting blame.
• Tell a person in authority about an unresolved problem within the team.
• Challenge your friend’s behaviors when they are wrong.
• Speak up when you are concerned about a decision at work.

What Could Go Wrong?

Many of you reading this may be thinking “Get real, Dave. Everyone around me is cutting corners, lying to cover their butts, or are too afraid to speak up and do what is right. If I did it, I would be the only one.”

You may be right. Parents and teachers have told us that honesty is always the best policy.  They told us that people in authority (parents, teachers, bosses…) will be thankful and reward our honesty. But the truth is, that does not always happen.

Many times the person of Integrity will not see the tangible rewards when they exercise Integrity. There might even be ridicule or more severe consequences. At the least, there will be other people warning you against speaking up or taking action because THEY fear the consequences.

“All that is required for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.”

– Edmund Burke

Yes. You might be standing alone for awhile. But, the exercise of Integrity will strengthen your character, and prepare you to lead when the larger tests in life come.

The Bottom Line:

I am speaking to you twenty-somethings out there. We generations before you have often set a poor example. We have often chosen the path of least resistance or done nothing instead of choosing to exercise Integrity. That is why you need to make a change!

Integrity is not situational. Integrity is an everyday exercise that requires you to make a sacrifice. If you are looking to change things, you must (we all must) change who we are on the inside – our character. We must exercise Integrity in the small things so we are ready for the big tests to come.

Leading in your twenties is not easy because many of you have not climbed the leadership ladder – yet. Your time to have the title of leader is coming. Will you be ready?

You can begin to lead now by exercising Integrity. If you follow the Know – Do – Say steps above, your influence will grow and you will soon be the people others are excited to follow. That is when you can really make lasting change happen at work, in your personal lives, and in our culture.

Question:

What exercises in Integrity are the most difficult for you in today’s environment?

This is the 8th in a series of blogs written directly to the Twenty-Somethings. This is about you and your future. This series is the beginning of a quest.

It is my quest is to help get you ready to lead today, tomorrow, and for decades to come. Here are links to the previous blogs:

Topic 1: Leading in Your Twenties – You’re Not Too Young to Lead

Topic 2: Leading in Your Twenties – Don’t Wait to be Told to Lead

Topic 3: Leading in Your Twenties – Prepare Yourself – School Didn’t Do It

Topic 4: Leading in Your Twenties – You’ve Been Given Bad Advice

Topic 5: Leading in Your Twenties – How to Build Your Character

Topic 6: Leading in Your Twenties – How to Exercise Courage

Topic 7: Leading in Your Twenties – How to Exercise Humility

As you read these blogs, please share them with other people who want ideas on how to lead now and how to develop the Twenty-Something Leaders of our future.

You can purchase the book Becoming a Leader of Character through Amazon here: bit.ly/LOCBook

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