You are probably familiar with the parable of the wise and foolish builders, or at least some version of it. In this parable the distinction is made between the actions of the wise builder who chooses to build his house on a firm foundation (i.e. rock) contrasted by the foolish builder who chooses to build on a site of loose and shifting sand. Without going into the details, the parable makes it clear that homes built on solid foundations will stand longer and be more secure than homes built on unstable foundations (i.e. shifting sands). While the principle holds true for building structures, it also holds true for the building of a life or career.

Integrity Defined

The word integrity is identified as a noun and defined by Merriam-Webster as;

1. firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values : Incorruptibility
2. an unimpaired condition : Soundness
3. the quality or state of being complete or undivided : Completeness

The word has its origins in the Latin word integritatem and represents an understanding of wholeness.

The inclusion of integrity as an important leadership characteristic is not new. It’s not evan a foreign concept to many in the leadership community. When you perform a simple internet search of the term leadership qualities you will receive a long list of surveys through which people have endeavored to identify the “most important” qualities of a leader. Consistently you will find the word integrity appears in the survey results. More often than not, the quality appears near the top of the list.

The concept of integrity dates as far back as the account of Job in the Old Testament (Job 2:3). The issue of integrity is a theme that continues even to this day. It can be found throughout modern leadership texts and commented on by many modern great leaders.

“The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office.” Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Examples of Integrity

The U.S. Army is easily recognized as one of the most trusted institutions in the United States. Icons like Dwight Eisenhower, George Patton, Norman Schwarzkopf, and Colin Powell have clearly demonstrated the ability of the U.S Army to effectively accomplish missions and serve the citizens of the United States. Unfortunately, the U.S. Army, as well as other branches of the military, have suffered negative press impacting their collective integrity and credibility.

In 2015, Leonard Wong and Stephen Gerras authored a report entitled “Lying to Ourselves: Dishonesty in the Army Profession” (Gerras, 2015). Wong and Gerras posited that “white lies and innocent mistruth have become so commonplace in the U.S Army that there is often no ethical angst, no deep soul- searching, and no righteous outrage when examples of routine dishonesty are encountered.” https://press.armywarcollege.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1465&context=monographs

By accepting the presence of mistruths you create situtations that lead to a condition known as ethical fade. In doing so, you create situations in which leaders and followers, and by extension the organization, fail to clearly see the lack of moral standard when making decisions. You have allowed ethical fade to be the norm and demonstarted that ethics within the organization are purely situational. You have made it clear that desicion making is not based on any accepted standard.

What you Condone, You encourage

Unfortunately, this issue is not unique to the United States Army. In the fire service, the issue of ethical fade is a real danger. Nearly every reader of this article can recall a time when a drug log, inventory log, or vehicle check-off sheet was “pencil whipped”. How many times have you heard stories of firefighter Smith’s name being added to the roster of a class she never attended? Leaders who commit, or simply allow, these activities are guilty of damaging their personal integrity and further advance the ethical fade within the organization. When followers see these types of actions being condoned or encouraged they begin to feel it is the accepted, or even expected, organizational norm. Followers also begin to think that if a you allow these little lies and deceptions to exist what might you lie about.

Leaving a Legacy

Building a leadership legacy on the solid foundation of integrity is critical. The ability to employ any other leadership quality stems from the integrity of the individual. Without integrity nobody cares about transparency, communication skills, passion, or creativity. It is only through the consistent demonstration of integrity can a leader, and by extension an organization, begin to activate any other leadership quality. Without integrity you lose credibility, legitimacy, and ultimately become devalued by the individuals you have been charged to lead.

When you build on the solid foundation of integrity, it won’t matter the winds and waves that come. As in the parable of the wise and foolish builders, structures built on solid foundations won’t have to worry about shifting sands. You can be certain there will be many opportunities for those proverbial winds and rain to attack the foundation of your career.