Characters of a Leader: Integrity

Integrity. Powerful word. A word that can make or break a person. A word that speaks volumes concerning ones character. When my eldest daughter was about 6 years old we were at the local Michael's craft store. As we walked the isle she noticed a bunch of marbles on the floor that had fallen off the shelf. Thinking that God had blessed her with such luck she asked if she could keep them. After all she had found them. She felt they were hers. My wife and I answered "No", and a lesson in integrity began to take place as we tried to explain to her that the marbles were the stores. Later that night when we got home I noticed that she was playing with the marbles! When we turned our backs, she picked them up anyways and stuck them in her pocket. Instead of giving her consequence right then and there, I got the car keys, took my daughter by the hand and drove off back to the store!

Integrity as defined by Webster, "the state of being complete; unified"

That means that our words and deeds match up! Maxwell writes in his book, Developing the Leader Within You, the importance of integrity. He writes three important factors of integrity.

1. It builds trust.

In order to be a leader a man must have followers. And to have followers, a man must have their confidence. Hence the supreme quality for a leader is unquestionably integrity. - President Dwight D. Eisenhower

2. Integrity facilitates high standards.

“My father was very strong. I don't agree with a lot of the ways he brought me up. I don't agree with a lot of his values, but he did have a lot of integrity, and if he told us not to do something, he didn't do it either.” - Madonna

3. Integrity results in a solid reputation - not just an image.

Whoever walks in integrity walks securely,but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out. Proverbs 10:9

Back to my daughters lesson....I had told my daughter that she was going to return the marbles, and she was the one going to do the talking. As tears filled her eyes and the fear of what would happen, I continued the lesson of integrity with love and assurance. As we drove up to the store, the lights were being shut off and some of the employee's were leaving. I called one of the employee's over and asked if I could talk to the manager. The manager came over and I said, "Mame, my daughter has something to say." With tears rolling down her checks, she pulled out the marbles and gave them to the manager and said, "I'm sorry, I took these from your store." The manager, who was on her knees, gave my daughter the biggest hug and said "Thank you for your honesty. I forgive you." A number of years later we were out on a family outing, and I noticed that my daughter had seen a person drop some money on the ground. She picked it up. Ran to the person who dropped it and was granted a big thank you! Lesson learned.

Your actions of integrity is more than a "role" in leadership. It is the very thing that inspires others to rise up and do what is right when no one is looking.

His Call. His gift to you. Your purpose. Irrevocable.