Holistic Integrity

I recently received a lesson on integrity from an unusual source….

Last week I attended a funeral for a colleague, an old friend from school. The priest, who knew him well, remarked on the importance of integrity in the life of my deceased friend. In particular, he highlighted the consistent application of integrity in his family life, his social life, his community activities and his professional life.

This “holistic” sense of integrity struck me as remarkable in contrast with the popular view of somehow separating business life from “other life”. There seems to be a strong body of opinion that what one does in one’s personal life is not relevant to an assessment of professional behaviour. I may be in a minority but I beg to differ. If you rely on someone in your business dealings who, for example, cuts corners in fun runs – why would you not think that they would cut corners at work? If you do business with someone who, for example, purchases cheap perfume and then pretends it is the genuine brand when presenting it as a gift – why would you trust them to present the genuine article at work?

The second insight I received from the priest was that my deceased friend’s integrity gave him the freedom to enjoy his life. Again, this is a remarkably different perspective to many people who think that behaving with integrity somehow constrains them. Think about it. Do you believe that always being true to yourself is restricting you? Or do you believe that consistent behaviour, honest dealings and being “straight” liberates you?

I challenge you to reflect on your beliefs about integrity. I would also challenge you to consider the behaviour of your important business contacts – outside the office.