Growing Your Career: with Integrity and Trust

I spent last week on the island of Oahu conducting management training for a client in the heavy equipment industry. My training partner and I developed a program for the middle managers and their San Diego counterparts around six leadership skills which they’ll be evaluated on by their employees next month. Our goal has been to help them better demonstrate the skills and thus receive better scores as this annual evaluation comes back around.

One of the leadership qualities we focused on during last week’s sessions was personal Integrity and how it affects those we work with. While a complex subject, it’s interesting to pick it apart and see its application. The word itself comes from the Latin root, “integer” or whole number. Like a whole number, a person of integrity is undivided and complete. Ethical and trustworthy are good descriptors, as well as consistency and fairness in decision making. In other words, a “what you see is what you get” type of person. They are very clear on where they stand and act accordingly.

Now I would expect that we already believe our integrity is intact, that our standards are high, and that we take the moral high ground in all situations. We typically don’t have to think too hard about this. The place where we can improve and grow our careers is in the awareness that this quality lends itself to building more trusting relationships. By exhibiting integrity, we are open, honest, and transparent in our actions. We share information, coach our employees, and give them constructive feedback. We are forthright and honest with our customers and coworkers, and unafraid to take thoughtful risks. Others in turn see us as believable and clear in our intentions, and are open to our influence.

Food for thought as you go about your work week. Think about some relationships where you are having less than ideal results with an individual or a team. Perhaps it’s a matter of building that trust and demonstrating your personal integrity just a bit more. Be willing to open yourself up, give honest fair input, and do what you say you’ll do. These small internal changes can make a huge difference externally.