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There is more to integrity than meets the eye. It’s not just telling the truth. Here are four tests to tell if you have the character of true success.
This week’s post is for your kickass career and life, the “I” in Kick ASS.
For a kickass career or life, you must have the utmost integrity. This creates such a great flow in our life and opens us up to the natural ease of life. With FULL integrity, we are undivided, inside and out.
There are four tests to tell if you have integrity. We all think that integrity is just not cheating or not lying, that’s the easy part. There are more weaves and folds for integrity. We’ve got to make sure that when we are pursuing our kickass career and really going for it that we’re not trampling people on the way, because when we trample others it says volumes about our character. People notice!
What are the four tests to tell if you have integrity?
We are going to say that the number one Integrity test is a given: no lying and cheating, okay check. We got that part of integrity, but the word integrity actually means complete or undivided. When we are complete as a person, and when we are undivided, we no longer have to break our integrity.
SO, the Four Tests to FULL Integrity
- Do you talk and gossip about others?
Stop talking about others, no more gossip. When you talk about others and gossip at work, oh boy can it really come back and knock you down.
I’ve had the normal experience of working with negative people who’ve really gotten on my last nerve. I have made the mistake of talking about them with other people. Not only is this a big reveal on my character, but, you never know what the relationships are with that person and those you are gossiping about. OUCH! That can end careers. Even if you believe that you have a strong confidant at work you don’t know when the supposed “confidant” is going to be put in a situation to make you look bad.
I’m not saying I think negatively about humanity, I really don’t, but one thing I know for sure is in the workplace the rules are different than they are with your family or friends. There are many agendas and everyone has to protect their job, their territory and security. Humans have a thing for survival. Survival of the fittest is a game well played on the work environment. You have to be careful, and you have to be integris to not talk negatively or gossip. You also have to make sure that the next test of integrity is working for you.
- Don’t cheat yourself
Don’t cheat yourself out of your own self-respect. Don’t do things or don’t act in ways that give your power or selfhood to others.
Don’t “over give” of your time and your energy where you know it’s not in your best interest. I’m not saying we don’t do things for the organization, or for the team as a whole, but deep inside when you’re giving too much, and your integrity is starting to break down, you get frustrated and angry. This negative energy goes out to everyone you interact with. Where ever you are, you are dispersing negativity, because you gave way more than you had. When you are empty, you are not able to work or live properly. You are hanging on, and I have seen this, in me and others who I coach. Boundaries are important.
- Do the right thing when know one is looking
Make sure that you are doing the right thing for not only for YOU, but for the team. Make sure the team members don’t get the short end of the stick. As a leader, look out for the team. We see people looking out for themselves, don’t model that behavior. It breaks your integrity.
Do the right thing when there is nothing in it for you directly, no recognition, no ego strokes. Pick up the trash that missed the container, speak up for truth. When nobody is looking, these are the times that define our character and will lift you.
- Do you lift up others when you have nothing to gain?
We might be tempted not to lift others up, because it may not give us direct benefit. In the end, there is a perfect accounting system for everyone, and when you lift others up you are lifting yourself up in the totality of your career and life. Your soul and your spirit, and your integrity matter to your life and your career, so do right by others.
DOWNLOAD the IDEASheet and remember the four tests of integrity. Don’t talk about others and gossip. Don’t cheat yourself with lack of self-respect. Do the right thing when nobody is looking. The fourth test is to always lift others.
When we operate with full integrity our kickass career goes in the right way. That’s the “I” in kickass, your kickass career with full integrity. Pass the four tests and your career will soar.
