Different successful businesses will often have their own unique organizational values. But one common thread running through nearly every successful organization is an emphasis on integrity. Warren Buffett has repeatedly emphasized the importance of integrity, once saying: “In looking for people to hire, you look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence, and energy. And if you don’t have the first, the other two will kill you.”
So what is integrity, and why is it so important? It starts with having a robust value system, but that in and of itself is not akin to practicing integrity. At its core, integrity is about abiding by your value system all the time, even when it is difficult. Often, the right thing and the easy thing are not the same. Someone with strong integrity will always choose to do the right thing.
Integrity is obviously a very valuable trait. It helps guide your internal growth as an individual and helps you develop stronger external relationships. And best of all, it’s a learnable trait. One of the most counterproductive myths out there is that people just are who they are; they are born with certain characteristics, and those are fixed for life. That isn’t the case at all.
Follow along as we break down why, exactly, integrity is so important, and the benefits you can derive from living a life of integrity. Then, we’ll dive into a series of strategies you can employ, both big and small, to develop your own integrity and sense of right and wrong.
Why is Integrity Important?
Developing a strong sense of integrity can have a holistic effect on your entire life. But there are also several significant individual effects you may notice quickly as your integrity grows. They include:
- Eliminate regrets
- Develop resilience
- Build trusting relationships
- Define your character
Eliminate Regrets
One of the most painful things in life can be second-guessing your own past decisions. When you do something, and it doesn’t work out, it’s natural to wish you could go back and change things. And that’s particularly true if you sacrificed your values to make that decision.
When you live a life of integrity, however, that isn’t an issue. Someone with strong integrity never sells out what they believe is right. Some of your decisions will work out, and some will not. But if you always make decisions based on the same set of principles and follow your values even when it’s difficult, you never have to worry about regrets.
When you let your integrity guide you through life, you know you can trust the process with which you made your decisions, no matter what the outcomes may be. Ultimately, the process is what really matters. And if you follow your values, over a long enough timeline, the right results will start to follow as well.
Develop Resilience
Failure is a natural, unavoidable part of life. It’s impossible to go through life without getting knocked down. But if you have integrity, it will be significantly easier to get back up again.
Having integrity is all about having faith in yourself. Resilience goes hand in hand with eliminating regret. When you believe in the values that you stand for and have confidence in your actions and your decision-making process, you will have a much easier time getting back up and continuing to move forward after a significant setback.
People without strong integrity often internalize their own failures. That is because they define themselves according to external standards. Successes may make such people feel on top of the world—there’s a reason they were willing to undermine their values to attain them—but the flip side is they fall even harder following a failure. And they have a much more difficult time getting back up.
Integrity keeps us steady. We realize that successes will come, and failures are inevitable. Both are transitory. When you live a life of integrity, you understand that having a healthy value system and consistently doing what’s right are the things that truly matter.
Build Trusting Relationships
When you consistently act with integrity, other people start to notice. A large part of having integrity is doing the right thing regardless of the attention you get for it. C.S. Lewis famously said, “Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.” That is absolutely true.
But when you live your life in accordance with your values all the time, eventually you will develop a reputation as someone who does so. And that resonates with people. Successful people want to surround themselves with people of strong integrity.
Integrity also causes others to view you as trustworthy. And trust is arguably the most critical aspect of a deep, healthy relationship. This phenomenon helps you build a wealth of strong, meaningful relationships with other people. Without trust, relationships are surface-level at best. Living a life of integrity gives you a path not only to internal growth but to an enriched personal and professional life as well.
Another bonus is the types of people with whom you will develop those relationships. People of high character are naturally drawn to other people with integrity. But those who don’t value character themselves will not think twice about you.
Define Your Character
Ultimately, all of the above adds up to this: your integrity, for better or worse, defines the impact you have on the world around you. Don’t get us wrong; who you are on the inside certainly matters. It is, of course, essential to have a healthy internal value system. You can’t do the right thing if you don’t have a sense of what is right and what is wrong.
But the fact is, your value system only makes a difference if you translate it to action. Is someone with a strong internal moral compass really a moral person if they don’t allow that compass to guide their decisions? Who you feel on the inside is important, but it’s what you do that defines the person that you truly are.
It is integrity that allows us to translate our values into action. When you live a life of integrity, you are able to make the person you want to be and the person that you are into one and the same.
How to Develop Integrity
People often talk of integrity as if it were a fixed trait. Some are born with it. Others aren’t. That is, at least, the popular narrative.
But it isn’t true. Even the most famous beacons of integrity weren’t able to simply coast along on the traits with which they were born. Maybe some have a stronger natural inclination to live their life one way or another. But everyone has to work to cultivate their integrity, whether they know that’s what they’re doing or not.
It is a learnable trait. If you want to live a life of integrity, that option is available to you, no matter the type of life you’ve lived up to this point. All it takes is effort and commitment.
There are numerous strategies you can employ to help develop your integrity, both big and small. Some are simple habits you can begin to implement this very day. Others are large-scale efforts that you will take a lifetime. But the payoff is indeed worth it for all of them.
Small-scale Habits
There are a multitude of significant changes you can make to boost your sense of integrity. They require reflection, introspection, and a lifetime of effort. But in the meantime, as you work on those, there are several smaller habits you can implement right away.
These are significantly more manageable and will yield immediate results. Each action may seem minor, but if you maintain them, they will add up to something far more significant. These habits include:
- Reflect before making a commitment
- Learn to say no
- Tell difficult truths
- Emphasize punctuality
- Work on clear communication
Reflect Before Making a Commitment
When someone asks if you can do something, it’s natural to reflexively agree and sort out how exactly you plan to do that later. That is particularly true of many people in their professional lives, as they want to be seen as the “go-getter” who will take on any and every assignment they can to get ahead.
And that’s a fine attitude–if you’re able to follow through. But when you’re eager to take on new responsibilities, that means previous commitments often fall by the wayside. When you put too much on your plate, something is going to have to be neglected or outright dismissed.
A significant part of integrity is making sure you always follow through on commitments. When you say you’re going to do something, other people can count on you and feel confident that it will indeed get done. When you don’t reflect before making commitments, this is simply impossible. You will inevitably agree to something that you can’t or won’t have time to do.
It’s crucial, therefore, to always make sure you have time to do something—and do it well—before you commit to it. We know you want to get ahead in the workplace. But taking on too many projects and failing to complete some is not the way to do so. The best way to get your boss to count on you is to develop a reputation as a person of integrity, who always follows through.
Learn to Say No
Here’s another habit that is directly tied with the one above. There are multiple reasons why someone might be motivated to put too much on their plate. While some people are driven by ambition, others are motivated by the desire to provide for others.
Many people out there have a challenging time saying no to requests from other people. They may feel like if they decline a request, they’re letting the other person down, or that it is their responsibility to take care of everyone else. For some, this role as a caretaker may be a significant part of their very self-identity.
That is an entirely understandable impulse—and a common one. But just because it’s natural doesn’t mean it’s productive. In fact, it can be just the opposite. Being able to say no is a vital skill that actually helps your relationships, and your own mental health, in the long run. When we try to do everything for everyone, we spread ourselves too thin and ultimately wind up letting people down.
Saying no can be a significant challenge for some people. Being a giver comes naturally to many people, and it’s an admirable trait. But relationships need boundaries, and being a person of integrity means fulfilling every commitment you make, to the best of your ability. Even if you want to support others, it’s far better only to take on obligations upon which you are sure you will be able to follow through.
Tell Difficult Truths
Telling the truth is easy when the truth is painless. Anyone can do that, and most people do. But when the truth is more complicated—when it might hurt someone, or when it paints you in a negative life—that’s when true tests of integrity arise.
It takes courage to tell the truth to people we love when it hurts. Whether that’s giving constructive criticism of something they care deeply about, admitting our fault in a challenging situation, or anything else in between, it never gets easier. Painful truths are hard to hear, and they can be even harder to tell. But a person of integrity is able to do so anyway.
Before we go further, there is one crucial point of clarification. There are two types of pain: the kind that serves a purpose and helps us grow, and the type that causes suffering without any potential benefits. A person of integrity tells the former types of truths every time. The latter is less beneficial. But it’s essential to be honest with yourself about whether the other person could use certain information.
Either way, this is a very important skill to practice if you are looking to cultivate your integrity. Lies of omission are easy to justify, but they are still lies just the same. In order to live a life of integrity, you must become more comfortable telling the truth, no matter what. It’s not easy, but it pays off in the end.
Emphasize Punctuality
The previous habit can be particularly challenging at times. Let’s dial it back to something much smaller and much easier to implement immediately, but can nonetheless have significant implications in your professional and personal life. Many of you likely already do this, and if so, feel free to skip this section. But being on time carries significant symbolic value, and it can spill over into other aspects of your life as well.
Punctuality may not seem like a big deal, and in a vacuum, it probably isn’t. If you’re a few minutes late, who cares? You still showed up, and you’ll still have plenty of time to get your work done. But life doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Showing up late sends a message to those around you—and, subtly, to yourself—about your priorities, your values, and your integrity. It shows that you don’t really value your work or your appointment.
Showing up late, whether you realize it or not, is a demonstration that you value your own time more than that of other people. But when you do emphasize punctuality—when you always show up by the agreed-upon time—that sends a message as well. It shows that you are a person of your word and that you have respect for those around you.
All it takes is some commitment and a little bit of time management. It’s as easy a habit to make as any on this list. And it often translates to other areas as well. When you’re consistently punctual, you’re sending a message not only to others but also, unconsciously, yourself. It’s a simple way to learn what it means to be a responsible, respectful person—a person of integrity.
Work on Clear Communication
Sometimes the way you say something can be as important as what you say. We all know there are misleading ways to communicate, wherein people imply a promise, while still allowing themselves an out, saying, “I never actually said that.” By acting as if they were telling the other person what they wanted to hear, they’ve actually caused more conflict in the long term.
There are other ways to communicate in an unclear way as well, like sugarcoating bad news, or exaggerating or minimizing your role in a situation. We’ve all done it at one point or another. But while that is perfectly natural, it can be very counterproductive in professional settings. And it certainly isn’t representative of integrity.
If you’re looking to develop your integrity, it’s imperative that you work on honestly communicating in a holistic way. Don’t just be truthful; it’s equally important to be clear. Body language, tone, and other forms of paracommunication all carry significant meaning in their own right.
Honesty is a layered concept. It requires more than merely saying words that are true. To become a person of integrity, make sure you are communicating holistically; not focusing just on the words you say, but rather the entire impression the other person leaves your interaction with.
Big-Picture Changes
These small-scale habits can certainly add up to considerable growth. But integrity is a very profound concept. Living a life of integrity requires lifelong effort. Integrity requires introspection and self-discovery, commitment and discipline. In conjunction with these smaller habits, then, you must also pursue some big-picture ideas. These larger concepts include:
- Develop your value system
- Channel a sense of purpose
- Create—and stay focused on—your goals
- Be open-minded
Develop Your Value System
Integrity, as we’ve said, is about following your values, and doing what you think is right in every single situation. It follows, though, that in order to hold to your values, you need to have a clear understanding of what, exactly, your values are.
You’ve likely inherited something of a value system from your parents and your community. But in order to truly live a life of integrity, it’s important to be introspective and critically examine what you’d really like to stand for. Maybe nothing will change. But it’s important to actively examine what you stand for and why.
It’s also possible that you’ll completely overhaul your values. Self-reflection helps you discover what you want to be and the impact you want to have on the world. When your values are developed and held passively, you are unlikely to want to fight for them passionately. But when they are actively cultivated, it’s another story entirely.
In the end, it doesn’t matter if you maintain the values you inherited, or build up an entirely new system from scratch. What’s important is that they are yours and that you genuinely embrace them. Values that are the result of critical appraisal and introspection feed integrity. Integrity is the result of a passion for doing what is right.
Channel a Sense of Purpose
Integrity, at its very core, is about translating your values into action. Integrity is not a passive quality. Developing your value system is very necessary, and it has intrinsic merit in and of itself. But true integrity means living an active life in honor of those values. The most effective way to do so is to discover a sense of purpose and channel it.
Having a strong internal value system, but simply drifting along aimlessly with the current, is worth little. Life represents an incredible opportunity; it is purpose that makes it worth living. Integrity is about fighting for what you believe in. The easiest way to do that is to directly incorporate your values into your goals in life.
Some people seem to know exactly what they want to do with their lives from a very young age. But for many more of us, we don’t find our purpose until later in life. But the fact is, even though it’s often framed as something we “discover,” purpose is something that we ourselves can create.
We are in complete control of our goals and our actions. A purpose is something we create by exploring the external world and our internal selves. It’s something we create by having faith in our values, and our sense of right and wrong. Living a life of integrity means channeling what we believe into an active purpose.
Create—and Stay Focused on—Your Goals
Equally important is setting smaller, more actionable goals. For some of you, developing an overarching purpose may feel overwhelming. If so, setting some more tangible goals in order to get yourself moving in the right direction may make everything feel significantly more manageable.
Conversely, if you’re a big-picture person, creating a purpose might be a breeze for you. But big-picture people often have trouble translating their ideas into actions. So while it’s from an opposite perspective, setting tangible goals for yourself is equally important.
Either way, this represents an excellent way to build momentum while holding yourself accountable. Your purpose is a lifelong endeavor. Looking at it only in the big picture makes it easy to get discouraged and stop moving forward. Breaking it down into smaller, more achievable goals, though, does just the opposite.
Little builds momentum better than crossing accomplishments off your list. Rather than taking an all-or-nothing view and getting overwhelmed, actionable goals help you realize pursuing a purpose is realistic. And they allow you to live a genuine life of integrity.
Be Open-Minded
Integrity is about committing to what you believe and sticking to it even in the face of adversity. You will have failures, setbacks, and doubters. These are inevitable. But in order to live a life of integrity, you nonetheless do not waver from your values.
At the same time, though, you shouldn’t believe that you know everything, or that your value system is infallible. Having integrity should not lead to having hubris. Growth is a continuous process, and this is true in all aspects of life. That includes your value system. Commit with a firm resolve. But be open as well.
As you progress through life, be open to change. Integrity does not mean closing your mind. Becoming fixed in your ways can actually pull you farther away from yourself. Integrity is about living an honest life and manifesting the person you want to be on the inside into the person you truly are. That includes embracing growth.
It is, then, all about balance. Commit to what you believe, but when a new idea makes sense to you, explore it further. Incorporate it into your value system, and continue moving forward. Openness to change doesn’t weaken your values, or undermine them. Rather, it makes them stronger. And it reinforces your own sense of integrity.