Our team here at PowerSlice Software settled in on listing integrity as one of our values as we were studying the biblical account of Joseph in Genesis. We were working through the exercise of “Borrowing Success” that I described in an earlier post, when we saw that he made the hard choice to do what’s right regardless of who was around or what needed to be done. Specifically, in chapter 39, Joseph had the opportunity to get involved in sexual misconduct or remain loyal to his boss and his love for God. While he could have successfully engaged in this sin, he removed himself quickly from the temptation. Sadly, Joseph’s act of integrity did not result in immediate promotion. Instead, he was fired and imprisoned because of the false accusations. Through a series of divinely orchestrated events, Joseph eventually becomes the Vice President of Egypt, fulfilling his God-given destiny and saving the kingdom from starvation.
Newsflash: It was not until AFTER he had paid the expensive cost of integrity personally and professionally that he was given his greatest opportunity to influence people toward blessing. Was it worth it? Joseph would say “YES!” without hesitation.
If we are going to maintain a fresh commitment to integrity no matter the cost, then we need to keep a fresh picture of the rewards in our minds. Here’s a big one… It builds trustworthiness. When integrity is consistently valued in an organization, the employees, clients, and customers enjoy a sense of consistency, predictability, and direction. This type of culture leads to influence. If people are confident that they will not be blindsided by decisions or results that are inconsistent with expected values, then they will begin committing themselves to your leadership and vision. When people begin to trust, they also begin to care. If people are following you, then you have been given the incredible privilege of leading them to blessing.
Where is integrity in your business? Do you have it listed as a value and are you living it out in principle? Is it prioritized in your commitments or in need of renewed focus? Do you need to invite accountability into your leadership in order to establish a consistent, trust-building work culture? Take some advice from President Dwight D. Eisenhower, “The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office.” Like Joseph, you might have to wait for the reward, but in the end, it’s undeniably worth it.