There was a time in my life when nearly everything came crashing down around me. At a moment of anger and confusion and at a life-changing crossroads, a friend pointed out to me that what I was experiencing was a "defining moment" and that my choices made in those moments could establish the direction of my life. In that moment, my choice was "Kind". I decided that I was a kind person and that my actions would reflect kindness. That decision prevented me from acting out retribution, pay-backs and righteous indignation. It laid a foundation from which peace, personal growth, forgiveness and healing could take root and grow.
That is the power of identifying and living out your Core Values both personally and for the organizations you are responsible for leading. They allow you and your team to make decisions by applying those values to any situation that comes along. They remove ambiguity and empower people to do the right things at the right time for the right reason and to grow personally and professionally.
For the next several editions of "Pursuit of Purpose", I'll be exploring several examples of core values to consider adopting and making a part of your daily decisions and intentions. Let's start with INTEGRITY.
Aligning your behavior with what you know to be excellent with principled dedication to your values and beliefs defines integrity. When you act with integrity you know you have nothing of which to be ashamed. You would not be embarrassed to have your actions described on the front page or worried if "60 Minutes" showed up at your front door.
Brene´ Brown says Integrity is "Choosing courage over comfort; Choosing what is right over what is fun, fast or easy; Choosing to practice our values rather than simply professing them." Authenticity is at the heart of integrity. It demonstrates a consistency regardless of changing external conditions or situations. Honesty is a quality of integrity in that the person lives without duplicity and hypocrisy.
As a person of integrity you make no claims to perfection but instead are accountable and quick to admit your mistakes and faults. Times of crisis are the test for integrity and for many the past several years have been an on-going exam. The motivation is to do what is right no matter what, no matter how difficult.
Living a life of integrity and running an organization committed to it as a core value is important as it builds reputation and character. By committing to live and build your organization around your core values, you provide an example for others to follow. You build trust. You create more open communications. Your relationships grow based honesty and authenticity. You've also just made decision making a lot easier because you've created guideposts and a clarity around what is the right thing to do.
A team committed to the value of Integrity shows respect to each other and all with whom they deal. They can assume positive intent from each other. They listen for understanding rather than for criticism or one-upmanship. They value diverse opinions, ideas, experiences and backgrounds.
Stephen Covey said, "There are three constants in life - Change, Choice and Principles." Knowing, committing and living your core values will guide you to make the right choices no matter how sudden and frightening the changes you are facing.
Paul Kiewiet MAS+ is an industry speaker, writer, consultant and coach. He serves as the executive director of MiPPA. Kiewiet was inducted into the PPAI Hall of Fame and the MiPPA Hall of Fame. He served as Chairman of PPAI in 2007. A former distributor, he founded Promotion Concepts, Inc in 1982 and worked with some of America’s most valuable brands including Coca-Cola, Kelloggs, and Whirlpool.