High-profile scandals and ethical fiascoes pierce today’s society. Unbridled greed, lack of accountability, moral indifference, and cultural decadence are commonplace at all levels. Many Americans believe that integrity is a virtue that fades across the spectrum. The times merit its reaffirmation, perhaps its reinvention, as the cornerstone of our society, as the fundamental principle of the moral compass. The editors of The New York Times once wrote, “Without integrity, all other virtues turn to sand.”
Few would dispute the idea that we need more. Everyone wants it and expects it from everyone else. No one, however, offers its authentic meaning or asserts its vital advantages. Instantly recognized in practice, in the abstract this timeless trait of good character remains vague and elusive.
During the Iranian hostage crisis, Cyrus Vance resigned from his prestigious position as Secretary of State in the Carter Administration. He did it because he could no longer support President Carter’s policy toward Iran in good faith. His actions prompted one reporter to write: “You can put Vance’s name next to the dictionary definition of personal integrity.” Mr. Webster, however, is of limited help in defining the first great virtue.
What is the true definition of integrity? In short, it is the ability to defend an idea. It is the unwavering loyalty to one’s own judgment, opinions, and values, when faced with the temptation to abandon them. Water Lippman, author of the influential book A Preface to Morals, wrote: “There is virtue in one who can respond to a situation greater than his mother’s inclinations, if he can cling to an ideal of conduct when it is inconvenient or unprofitable to do so.” so.”
Eugene V. Debs was a social agitator on the American scene during the first decades of the last century. He opposed young children working in the dangerous coal mines. While demonstrating against it in Ohio, he was arrested, charged with disturbing the peace, and jailed. He received a telegram. He said: “Stand by your principles regardless of the consequences. Your mother and your father.” Debs stood her ground and became a major factor in reforming child labor laws in this country.
What invisible forces motivate people of integrity? There are many:
- Personal pride is one;
- A strong streak of individualism is one factor;
- For others it is the insistence on independent thought and action;
All, however, are overcome by one undying lure: an ardent and determined attempt to maintain self-respect. Twentieth-century thinker and writer Brad Blanchard declared that self-respect is the intangible that drives the moral engine. Because, as he said, “it’s what no one can afford to lose.”
Self-respect is part of the good feelings one has about oneself. It is the inner certainty that one is making the right decisions and sticking to them. In the dark hours of the Civil War, when the Union was losing battle after battle, and personal criticism and excoriation of him was at its height, Abraham Lincoln held a private conference at the White House. He told his secretary of war, Henry Stanton: “When this terrible war is over, I intend to stay with a friend, and he is deep inside me.”
People of integrity earn admiration and respect. If we pause and reflect, the reasons become clear. Integrity enforces purpose. Build engagement. Reinforce standards at all levels. Defeat the ill-advised compromise. It encourages conduct of integrity and promotes higher performance, both in private life and in professions and organizations.
What are you doing to reinvent and reinforce the fundamental value of integrity in your daily actions, and that of your profession, your team, your organization?
