Leading with Integrity in a World that Often Rewards the Opposite
Integrity isn’t flashy. It doesn’t demand attention, and it won’t make headlines. But it’s the foundation of trust, the bedrock of leadership and the silent force that determines how people perceive and remember you.
Integrity is more than just telling the truth—it’s about doing the right thing when no one is watching. It’s about aligning your actions with your values, even when it’s inconvenient, uncomfortable or costly.
And yet, in today’s world—where perception often outweighs reality—integrity is frequently tested. Leaders and communicators, in particular, face moments where we must choose between what’s easy and what’s right.
Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody's going to know whether you did it or not.
– Oprah Winfrey
Why It Matters
Integrity isn’t just about feeling good about your choices. It has real, tangible benefits:
✔ Trust & Credibility: People follow leaders they trust. Without integrity, that trust disappears.
✔ Stronger Teams: Employees thrive in environments where ethical behavior is modeled and valued.
✔ Better Decisions: When integrity leads, decisions are rooted in principles, not short-term gains.
✔ Reputation & Legacy: When you retire and eventually pass away, integrity defines how people remember you.
As leaders and communicators, we don’t just influence decisions—we shape culture. And if we don’t uphold integrity, who will?
Virtues are the essence of who we are. They’re described in the world’s sacred traditions as the qualities of the Divine and the attributes of the human spirit. They’re the content of our character and the basis of genuine happiness.
The mission of The Virtues ProjectTM is to inspire the practice of virtues in everyday life by helping people of all cultures to discover the transformative power of these universal gifts of character. The virtues are spiritual life-skills that help us to live our best lives. As a Bahá’í, I also work to acquire these divine qualities because I believe I’ll need them in the life to come.
Truthfulness
Integrity demands honesty, even when the truth is difficult. Leaders who embrace truthfulness build cultures of openness where employees feel safe to speak up, voice concerns and contribute ideas without fear of retaliation.
Imagine… If you have an issue with a colleague or a business partner, do you address it directly or do you vent to a peer or escalate it to their leader? Integrity calls for the difficult but necessary and courageous conversation—not the easier, indirect path that erodes trust and breeds dysfunction.
Accountability
Integrity isn’t just about personal ethics—it’s also about taking responsibility. When mistakes happen, true leaders don’t spin the narrative or shift the blame. They own their actions, make amends and correct course.
Common ethical dilemma for communicators: It’s easy to present data in a way that tells a more favorable story. But integrity means presenting the facts honestly and accurately, letting the numbers speak for themselves and allowing stakeholders to draw conclusions based on reality—not a polished version of it.
Integrity is about making the right choices, even when they come at a cost.
Fairness
Integrity means treating people equitably, not just when it’s legally required but because it’s the right thing to do.
Real-world dilemma: Some global companies only provide cost-of-living increases in countries where it’s mandated by law, leaving employees in other regions without adjustments. While the company may discourage employees from sharing information about salaries and increases, the word quickly gets out. And the result isn’t good for morale and often has a negative impact on productivity and working relations. A more ethical approach would be ensuring all employees across the globe receive a fair cost-of-living increase, even if it means reduced profits.
The Foundation of a Purposeful and Fulfilling Life
Integrity cannot be faked, and it cannot be bought. It is earned through consistent action—through the decisions you make every day that reflect your commitment to doing what's right, not what's easy.
– Simon Sinek
In the video, Simon Sinek says “Personal integrity is the cornerstone of a life that is both purposeful and fulfilling. It’s the inner commitment to act in alignment with your deepest values and principles regardless of the circumstances or the external pressures you face. Integrity is not simply about following rules or doing what is right when others are watching; it’s about being true to yourself, honoring your word and consistently making choices that reflect your values even when no one is around to witness it.”
He argues that integrity isn’t just about honesty—it’s about owning your mistakes and learning from them. Integrity means facing setbacks with humility, taking responsibility for shortcomings, and demonstrating the willingness to improve.
Integrity is the foundation of a meaningful and fulfilling life. It’s the unwavering commitment to align your actions with your core values, no matter the circumstances or external pressures. True integrity isn’t just about following rules or making the right choices when others are watching—it’s about staying true to yourself, keeping your word and ensuring your beliefs, words and actions are consistently in sync. In a world that often prioritizes speed, convenience and short-term gains, integrity remains the steady force that defines character and builds lasting trust.
Simon highlights that those who act with integrity don’t hide behind excuses or shift blame—they take ownership. This authenticity builds deep, lasting respect—not the kind given out of convenience but the kind that endures.
Here’s the Thing
While integrity might go unnoticed in the short term, its absence always catches up. Those who stand by their principles, despite the challenges they face, leave an impact far greater than those who compromise for temporary gains.
Key Takeaway?
Integrity isn’t about avoiding mistakes—it’s about how you respond when they happen.
Creating a Culture of Integrity in Organizations
Integrity can’t just be a personal value—it needs to be embedded in the company’s culture. Here’s how organizations can promote ethical decision-making:
Annual Code of Conduct Attestation
Require employees to reaffirm their commitment to ethical behavior each year. Since it’s mandatory for all employees, communication can be in the flow of work (i.e., as opposed to a big campaign) and messaging can be simple and straightforward to inform all employees of the call to action and the deadline. Engage leaders to ensure all their employees comply. But that’s table stakes. Don’t stop there, keep reading…
Conduct “What Would You Do?” Campaigns
Again, nothing fancy or flashy. It’s important that this campaign be woven into the fabric of business as usual.
Create a creative and fun way (e.g., gamification) to share real-world ethical dilemmas throughout the year where employees are presented with a situation and choose the right course of action. Inspire a spirit of “coop-etition” i.e., a competition that’s cooperative where everyone wins) where teams compete for the highest participation in the campaign and earn bragging rights and perhaps a team outing. Be sure to make the connection to your company’s Code of Conduct. Organize quarterly round-table discussions where leaders can have a dialogue around real-world situations.
Transparent Leadership Decisions
Pull back the curtain on ethical challenges the company has faced. Work with your Legal department to ensure you’re not oversharing. But there’s a lot of value in sharing the situation, the decisions taken and the reasoning behind them—especially when doing the right thing meant sacrificing revenue, market share or losing a customer.
Create a “Say-Do” Scorecard to Build Ethical Accountability
One powerful way for leaders to work with communicators in reinforcing ethical commitment is by launching a “Say-Do Scorecard.”
This periodic report transparently tracks key decisions and actions in relation to the company’s own Code of Conduct, showcasing where leadership has upheld its ethical commitments—and where it has fallen short.
To increase credibility, the scorecard should include real examples of missteps, along with lessons learned and corrective actions taken.
While it may be appropriate to maintain the anonymity of those involved at times, imagine the message it sends to employees if a leader acknowledges their mistake, shares what was learned from the experience and shows that they lived on to tell about it without negative consequences to their career.
By acknowledging both successes and areas for growth, organizations can demonstrate transparency, foster trust, reinforce accountability and set a high standard for integrity-driven leadership.
The Bottom Line
Integrity grows when it’s modeled, discussed and reinforced daily.
Integrity in Action: The Fork in the Road
In 2020, the world watched as high-profile cases of social injustice ignited global conversations about Inclusion, Diversity & Equity (ID&E). Companies stepped up and spoke out—issuing public statements, pledging commitments, and implementing new initiatives to build more inclusive workplaces.
At the time, I wondered: Is this a moment or a movement?
I was optimistic. I wanted to believe that this was more than a reaction to public pressure—that companies were making a real, lasting commitment to fairness, equity, and doing right by all employees. I hoped that integrity would guide these decisions, not just the news cycle.
Fast forward to today. The landscape tells a different story. Some companies—like Meta and Walmart—are scaling back or outright eliminating their ID&E programs. Others are quietly rebranding or distancing themselves by changing their language, hoping to avoid controversy.
Yes, but… there are companies like Apple, Costco and Microsoft, that continue to stand firm in their commitments, regardless of the political and cultural winds.
Their decisions, on both sides, say something important—not just about policy, but also about who they are.
Here’s the thing: Integrity isn’t about saying the right thing just when it’s popular. It’s about standing by your principles, even when it’s dangerous, uncomfortable or inconvenient.
Gut check: Are we (or those we support) aligning words with actions? Are we standing firm in what we believe or adjusting based on external pressures?
When the moment fades, integrity is what remains. It’s what separates those who made performative gestures from those who made real progress.
And in the end, that’s what defines not just a company’s reputation, but its character. It’s also what contributes to their credibility.
Parting Thoughts
Integrity isn’t just about just policies, compliance or public perception. It’s about who you are when no one is watching.
Leaders (and communicators) with integrity sleep well at night. They don’t wrestle with regrets; they don’t have to keep track of half-truths, and they don’t lose sleep over compromised values.
Let’s be real—No one is perfect. We all fall short at times. But integrity isn’t about being flawless. It’s about recognizing when we’ve missed the mark, owning our mistakes, apologizing when necessary, learning from the experience, making it right and committing to being better next time.
For me, that’s what true leadership looks like.
Integrity isn’t just a virtue—it’s the foundation of trust, leadership and meaningful impact. Let’s lead with it, live by it and inspire others to do the same.
Inspire On!
If you liked this article…
You may find the following interesting:
- The Whisper That Yearns to Be a Roar (the article that inspired the series on virtuous leadership)
- Leading with Truthfulness in a Trust-Starved Society
- Virtues Transcend Boundaries and Cultural Divides
- Exploring Virtues in Leadership (other virtue-related articles on alviller.com)
