9 Tips for Greater Personal Leadership Integrity

Integrity

Integrity is often mentioned when people start talking about the qualities of their favorite leaders.  Integrity becomes a part of a conversation in personal leadership, when you have come to an awareness there is for you, an opportunity to live more fully in integrity.

The word integrity originates from the Latin word  integritas meaning “whole“.

As a personal leader, there can be many different  intentions you can set around raising your own level of personal integrity.    It’s possible to have a high level of integrity in one area of your life and still be a little out of integrity in another.  So, as a goal you might now desire to increase your integrity in the areas you a feel lack of integrity.

For example, when you are in integrity in something to do with the public – and then privately – choose not to maintain the same standards, you push aside your own personal fulfillment. When you only are integrity in part of your life – vs your whole life you are missing out on feeling that wholeness.  Have you heard the saying “public success and private failure” ?

When you are in integrity in your entire life – there is a sense of deep fulfillment that can be yours.

Here are 9 tips to live your live in greater personal leadership integrity:

1. See the big picture and your role in it

Seeing and reflecting on your desires in relation to both social and political context is a key distinction for a personal leader who is  in personal integrity.  Understanding the norm (the spoken or unspoken values,  rules and boundaries)  in your culture, your community and relationships will assist you in understanding the needs and expectations those around you have.    When you are in integrity – you both honour your own deepest values in connection with the context of your environment.

The learning or new awareness that is required is the capacity to be able to hear your owns soul’s voice without compromising who you are and, at the same time, being in collaboration in your relationships and community.

2.Be open

Having an open  mind allows you to bring more integrity of choices as you can then see ALL of the different perspectives that may be presented.   Seeing the entirety of  a situation will assist you in making decisions in integrity.   Having an open heart will allow you to pick up on your instincts and your intuition so you can bring in all of your senses into awareness.

3. Be true

Telling the truth and honouring your commitments are two cornerstones in being in greater integrity.  Truthfullness helps your head, heart and behaviours be in alignment, which is wholeness in the form of congruence.   When you honour your commitments  – you honour the integrity of the relationships you have with others.   There is a wholeness that comes from the connection we create when we honour our commitments.

If you want to challenge yourself to up your game in how you honour your commitments –  try to never cancel an appointment or commitment you have made in favor for another.  Try this for a month – and see what you notice. Or, have you been late for meetings or appointments?   Why not increase your level of integrity in being on time?  Trying arriving 5-10 minutes early for all of your appointments and see what you notice.

4. Be  courageous

It can take courage to set an intention to increase your level of integrity in an area of your life.  Somewhere in the process,  you will need to go beyond your existing beliefs an normal behaviours to do it.  This is what courage is – it is knowing those things are there – and then moving forward anyway.

It can be courageous to start saying no to someone who asks you to for example, take on a project which is not in alignment with your own personal values.   It can be courageous to say no an offer of front row seats at a concert – when you have already have a commitment to help someone else.

When you start living with more and more integrity – you will for sure bump up against the call for greater courage – no matter what area of your life you are talking about.  The call though, is for you to see things with accurate thinking – and then choose to move forward.

5. Pursue mastery

Integrity in your chosen skills in life means reaching a level of competence.   When you pursue mastery in your skills – you increase your level of integrity.   Office buildings are today, filled with folks in leadership roles without the leadership skills they need to be great leaders.   In personal leadership – you choose the skills of your own game – and you master them.    Skills mastery is one of those places where you are a role model.   Those that will be attracted to following you – will want to trust that  you have the skills they want to emulate.

6. Be willing to change

When we fear or resist change – we are actually caught up in the illusion that things remain static.  That somethings are unchanging.  In our lives – everything changes.   This is an awareness that can increase your level of integrity immediately.   If you find yourself making plans or designing strategy based on something remaining static – that is a good sign you are a little out of integrity.   Everything changes; our minds, our bodies, our relationships, things in our environment …and the list goes on.

7. Recognize the love is within you

When we seek validation or approval from anywhere other than from within our own awareness, we are in effect, out of integrity with ourselves.   If you find that you are looking for someone else to validate who you are  – you are missing the awareness that you are already whole and complete.  There is nothing missing – you are just not in connection with your “love“.    When you are in full integrity with the awareness that you are whole and complete.  You can enjoy the wonder of change, the wonder of the moment and also  have a high level of self regard.

8. Deliberate and discriminate your desires

Impulse control is the ability to resist or deny an impulse, drive, or temptation to act.   Just watch someone get caught out of integrity – and often it is because they haven’t resisted an impulse.

When you take the time to stop and think things through with accurate thinking you can avoid costly rash actions by bringing the complete picture, and give your self time to have the opportunity to stand in the many perspectives before acting out your desires.   It is in the deliberation and the discrimination that will bring you the extra time needed to align yourself with your personal values and think about things such as consequences.

One technique to do this effectively,  is to take an “as if” perspective.   Act as you have followed thru on your desire – and then check for consequences of your action.    By seeing the imagined future in the present – you have an opportunity to not regret your past.

9. Feel everything

Occasionally, you will see people move outside of integrity when there is something that they really don’t want to feel.   It is in the avoidance of feeling that people loose track of their intuition and instincts and even the capacity to live in the wonder of the moment.   When you feel things fully – you experience more connection with yourself – with others, and with the awareness that we are all “ONE”.

The next time you criticize someone for example, feel in to the feeling that was stirred up in you.   You might just find that the critic was formed out of the energy of something you yourself did not want to feel.

Deciding to live your live with greater integrity may seem like a big job to take on.   Attempting to take it on all at once can seem like an overwhelming project.   It’s a matter of practice that is all.  Start small and than keep on expanding.  Eventually you will be the kind of personal leader that YOU would want to follow.



  • Thank you. Great Insight Article. Leadership dimension primarily measures the ability to gather people together to work on a project or pursue an idea.

    • anne preston says:

      Thanks for commenting. I define Leadership as “creating an inspiring world to which other’s want to belong”. I define self-leadership as being aware, and in clear presence about being a role model as you inspire others as a by-product.

  • Carol Newlands says:

    A true leader inspires other to dream more and learn more by just showing them their action. A leader creates their fellow leader. A true leader doesn’t tell he/she is right instead try to clarify the point. Listen to others opinion and not thinking inside the box. It is important to be sensitive in others feeling especially if you are in just one team.

    • anne preston says:

      I agree Carol. A role model who demonstrates is often more inspiring than someone who tells without the congruence of their *heads* and *hands* aligned. When a someone is 100% congruent in heat, heart and hands, it is palpable – and inspiring.

  • John Huynh says:

    Thanks for sharing Anne, Another great post. I have learnt a lot from it. Really appreciate it.

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