We are all responsible for our own ethics and integrity. This means creating the best personal and social environments that nourishes, replenishes, and addresses the integrity of others.
I have previously talked about purposeful leadership and ethics. The leadership I refer to is essential to building a better planet, and it revolves around not how to do things but how to be.
Unfortunately, integrity gets entangled and mixed in with compliance. I understand as well as anyone that we must have rules, regulations, laws. We set standards of conduct that are deemed to be right, good, and worthy.
When we look at integrity though, I think the view has to be one of conscience. Specifically, I am talking about building a moral compass that creates wholeness and a state of being true to ourselves.
Admittedly, this is no easy feat for us mere mortals who are flawed and struggle with our daily ethics.
We all have some innate ability to be good, kind, and decent. We can discern between right from wrong; and this is the core definition of ethics for me.
How we get to integrity for me and sustain it comes down to the following concepts:
1) We have to be responsible and accountable for our own actions.
2) Judge yourself first before you start picking apart others. Point ten fingers at your tummies.
3) Build a simple moral compass that describes you are, what you are all about, and what you value.
4) Faith matters a lot to get to ethics.
I’m not a minister, a preacher, or some evangelical guy who makes a living in front of big audiences and bright lights.
Some of those individuals may mean very well and live their lives accordingly.
In my Christian faith, I rely on the doctrine of the bible and the Ten Commandments. The similarities with other faith systems are strikingly similar and relevant to our success as a human race.
Respect, consideration, and courtesy matters a great deal.
Treating others decently, fairly, and equally is critical to our ability to interact with each other.
There is no place for self-serving interests, arrogance, and greed. It leads to poisonous behavior and insincere cultures in our for profit and non profit organizations.
I call on our leaders to expand their lenses and be more self aware of everyone around them. Your job is to root out insincerity, creating cultures that are honest and authentic.
Ethics and integrity starts with doing what we say we will do. They are building blocks in our moral compasses that guide our ideas, thinking, and actions.
This takes daily work and reflection to see if we are on track or not.
Above that, it calls for prayer.
Praying is soothing, healthy, and the best exercise I know of that digs from within in order to go outside.
It is time to get down to work. Time is fleeting and our potential as humans is largely unfulfilled.
We can do better than this and our time is now.
Work your ethics and develop your integrity always.
Lastly, do your best every day. No one can expect more or less from any of us.
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