The first characteristic of a great leader is their integrity. Webster
says that the definition of integrity is the ability to adhere to moral and
ethical principles. People who have
integrity are honest, kind, fair minded, and generous. Integrity encompasses many
qualities, and one of them is accountability or taking responsibility for one's
actions. The lack or personal
accountability is a major pitfall of leadership. A leader who does not take responsibility for
their actions and decisions is bound to fail.
Without personal accountability, a person has the tendency to play the
blame game. Whatever the consequences of
their decisions are, particularly their mistakes, they blame on others. A leader admits when they make a mistake. True leadership knows the humility to admit mistakes, the integrity to take responsibility and the courage to move on.
A second quality of integrity is true virtue which comes from within. It is instilled by time, experience and
understanding. If you know virtue and
you have it in you, you will know it in other people. If you yourself are a person
of integrity, or are searching for integrity in yourself, your inner knowing
and your intuition will give you the understanding to know the virtue from the
pretense. Virtue as a part of our true
humanity will speak to the true humanity in others. Otherwise, if virtue has
been subdued and clouded by negativity, you cannot see its light or feel its
voice. Leaders who have gained success pay attention to the inner voice that provides their moral compass, and they learn to guide their conduct according to the virtues and principals that flow from their moral identities.
The third quality of integrity is honesty. This means
to do what you know in your heart is right. Sometimes being truly honest means giving up something you want in
exchange for doing the right thing.
Leadership means being your own person and when you earn a reputation
for integrity, values and honesty, you’re likely to be a respected leader. I
have a saying that goes like this. "Life
is a do-it-yourself project." Your
life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make
today. A leader without courage and integrity does not gain the respect of their followers. In such a case, leadership has lost its essence. The journey in being a great leader starts with acquiring integrity first.
