A lack of integrity can devour credibility—especially if you’re in a position of authority.

Just think of how we often describe people without integrity:

• He’s a hypocrite.
• She’s a liar.
• He can’t be counted on.
• You can’t trust her; she says one thing and does another.

These character judgments are part of the reason so few people admit to mistakes and lean on weak excuses for lack of follow-through. And it is this fear of being judged that quietly destroys workplace cultures.

How is your integrity? 

‍Whole Integrity checklist

Inspired by and reorganized from a quote by Landmark Education, the Whole Integrity checklist helps pinpoint individual behaviors that align with integrity. How would you rate yourself on these components?

☐ Nothing hidden
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☐ Being truthful and honest
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☐ Doing complete work
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☐ Working from an empowering context.
(This means that you're coming from a place of commitment and agreement—and that you're not disparaging, undermining, or bemoaning the task at hand with something like:  
• “I’m only doing this because he said I had to do it.”
• “This is stupid, but I’ll do it anyway.”
• “I think this is a waste of time, but someone’s got to do it.”

We are all responsible for our words and actions. If you think it’s a waste of time, find out why the person who asked you to complete the task thinks it’s worth your time.)
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☐ Doing very well what you do
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☐ Doing it as it was meant to be done or better without cutting corners
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☐ Honoring one’s word
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☐ Doing what you know to do
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☐ Doing what you said you would do and on time

☐ Saying when you are not doing it as soon as you realize you won’t be doing it or won’t be doing it on time
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☐ Doing what others would expect you to do even if you haven’t said you would do it.
(This is the one that often surprises people. We don't explicitly spell out and agree to every single expectation in our roles, but you are still responsible for meeting them unless you negotiate them. Otherwise, we're acting like the child who tries to justify staying up far too late by saying, "Well, you said I had to go to bed. You didn't say I have to actually sleep.") 

So—how did you rate?

As you think about your behaviors, did you find room for improvement?

The good news

If you're not thrilled about your score, remember: We're all human. We’ve all failed on a New Year’s resolution. We’ve all arrived late to an appointment. We’ve all had the best of intentions.

And here is some more good news: Human nature is to forgive someone who comes to us with hat in hand, who owns their rubbish and commits to a different future way of being.

The Whole Integrity Checklist helps us take integrity out of the realm of morality, ethics, and character and instead make it a behavior that we can cultivate. If you're not exhibiting the integrity you would like—or if someone on your team isn't—you're not doomed. Simply identify the gap in behavior, and work to close it.

As the philosophers famously point out, "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." 

Dive in to CultureWorks for more insights on integrity and loads of other juicy leadership topics!

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