Integrity and Leaders

What is integrity in a sense of leadership? The New Revised Edition of Webster's Dictionary has a simple definition: honest character. Integrity comes from the Latin word integer, meaning whole number. The concept of wholeness comes from one's own personal decisions and morals. Specific characteristics of integrity consist of truthful, principled, fair, faithful, consistent, open, trustworthy, and whole. One who possesses these values is also generally accepted as ethical and honest. These principles are required …

…liars are asked to recall their rendition of the truth they usually can't do it. They know the truth, but they can't remember their version of it. The most important thing that benefits from integrity is relationships. Relationships are the jewels of our lives, and they breech out in trust. When trust is gone there is no foundation upon which to build. Relationships that lack integrity seem hollow and shallow, plus, they lack joy (Kazenske, 2001).