Photo and blog by Sharman Dow
Living your life to the fullest level of nobility is living a life of integrity. It’s possessing the character quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. A person who has developed integrity is someone who has determined what they believe and will stand by that belief, even when others may mock or ridicule.
Embracing integrity is having the moral dedication that is committed to the purity of the truth. In your business career, it’s essential to be a person of integrity who is devoted to the simplicity of the truth in all situations. This, at times, might cost you, but what can be gained is far more valued because you will be able to look yourself in the mirror and realize you are a treasure to yourself, your company and to God.
The basis for which to measure integrity is drawn from the ethics and morals established in the Bible. In other words, the standard from which we should all live is expressed in “godliness.” The Ten Commandments is a good start in developing integrity, but it is also a matter of the heart, as it starts within our hearts and thoughts. It’s being righteous in all manners, but tempered with humility. Possessing the character quality of integrity is elevating yourself to a higher level, even when it appears everyone is against you.
Would you define yourself as a person of integrity? It’s not being a goody two shoes, but it’s actually being a person who knows who they are and can live with that assurance. It’s standing up for what is right and doing the right thing, even when it may cost you.
An excellent portrayal of a person standing on their principles and displaying a life of integrity is shown in the film “A Man for All Seasons,” written by Robert Bolt. This film is a docudrama movie that has always been close to my heart. The film depicts a crisis of faith for Sir Thomas More, who was the 16th-century Lord Chancellor of England. A devout Catholic, he refused to sign a letter asking Pope Clement VII to annul King Henry VIII of England’s marriage to his wife, Catherine. His deep faith forced him to resign as Lord Chancellor rather than take an Oath of Supremacy, which would have declared King Henry VIII the Supreme Head of the Church of England. He was ultimately beheaded for his stance, even when his family begged him to concede to the King’s wishes. This is a person who knew what he believed and stood by his beliefs, even to the point of death.
Fortunately, in our business careers we don’t have to stand on our principles to the point of death as Sir Thomas More did, but his legacy of integrity is a standard from which we can remember and live by. Drawing from his exemplary life it’s important to behave in business with integrity.
One example I always use with my staff is when you make a mistake, please come forward and let me know when it happens. When a mistake is covered up, it will become a bigger problem 90 percent of the time. I never hold a mistake against someone, because we all make them, but when it is hidden from me and ultimately unfolds later I begin to lose trust in that employee. A lifestyle of integrity will make you a trustworthy person in every aspect of your business and personal life.
Being a person of integrity will keep you on the right path of success. Empower yourself and become that person, and success will call itself into your life!
Sharman Dow is the founder of the Empower Women’s Conference, coming October 22nd to Orange County. Register today!
