Integrity for me has always been wrapped up in one statement my dad would repeat endlessly, “Do a job, big or small, do it well or not at all.” It is having the quality of honesty and strong moral principles that are adhered to consistently. It involves keeping words aligned with actions even under pressure. It requires taking responsibility for mistakes.
Having a sense of integrity at work and in life has been my commitment to myself and others. I take pride in following through, in having good judgement and owning my mistakes. This is especially true in job transitions and changing leadership roles. I value setting the next person up for success. I want others to be able to manage well and the mission to continue.
8 The wise of heart will heed commandments,
but one with foolish lips will come to ruin.
9 Whoever walks in integrity walks securely,
but whoever follows perverse ways will be found out. (Proverbs 10:8-9 NIV).
I’m learning that having integrity is broader than a job well done. In fact, it was a powerful “ah ha” that I am grateful for. It includes self-respect, an honoring of what is right not just in action, but in how I treat myself. It reminds me of Mark 8, where the question of what we gain and what we lose cuts deeper than accomplishment alone.
There is a space between doing a job well and maintaining personal boundaries, and that space matters. Integrity is not martyrdom. It is not saying yes to everything, which is my tendency, especially when I want to be helpful or needed. It includes maintaining personal boundaries, even when that feels uncomfortable or risks disappointing others. At times it requires drawing a line in the sand, and having the courage to hold it, trusting that honoring those boundaries is not a failure of character, but an expression of it. God continues to mold this within me.
How do you define integrity? Where do you struggle with it? Share your experience here and breathe life and bring hope to others.