A Man of Integrity
A man of integrity. It’s one of the most frequent goals we men have in our lives. We want to be viewed as having a strong sense of character and a moral center...as someone that other people, especially other men, trust and depend upon. But what does that really mean and is it as difficult as it sounds? Simply put, a man of integrity lives his life in a manner that is consistent with his beliefs, values, and principles. Integrity centers around honesty, trustworthiness, and having a strong sense of right versus wrong. And it also means being able to operate in an environment filled with questions, temptations, pressure, and gray areas.
A man of integrity understands his core values and acts in a way that demonstrates those values to others. Our values are those core beliefs that are so important to us that they shape our behavior and our understanding of the world. Our values guide our actions and how we interact with others. Core values might include family, hard work, and education. Take a few minutes, sit down, and identify your core values. Once you identify your values, consider how your behavior and choices reinforce those values.
We practice honesty and take responsibility. Honesty is part of the foundation of integrity and requires us to be honest both with ourselves as well as with others. As a man of integrity, we are truthful in our dealings with others in both in both our personal or professional lives. We are honest about our intentions and our actions, and we accept responsibility when we make a mistake. Accepting responsibility for mistakes also means that we work to repair the relationship or damage that comes from poor choices or instances (hopefully rare) of bad judgement.
One of the hardest things about integrity is doing what is right, every time. Its easy to do the right thing in simple day to day decisions. Its even easy to do the right thing when everyone is watching us. But integrity means doing the right thing when nobody is looking and especially when the right thing is not convenient or simple. We sometimes agonize over decisions, doing the right thing versus the easy thing. But integrity means that we admit mistakes to our wife, that we accept responsibility when a project does not go as planned at work, and when we don’t follow through on a commitment we made to our child. Once we accept that responsibility, we then work to repair the relationship and make amends. We apologize, we promise to do better, and then we do better the next time.
Being a man of integrity isn’t easy. It certainly isn’t convenient in a world where rules and values are fast and loose. A greater emphasis on personal responsibility and making progress in our daily lives can help us develop the sense of worth and accomplishment that is built from being true to ourselves and true to our sense of what is right and just in our lives.
Check back for more in our series on being A Man of Integrity.