We Want You
What does it take to get people to want to work for you? There are several factors a charismatic leader cultivates but one I’d like to focus on today is integrity.
Do you have integrity when you work with your people? Do you let integrity guide your decisions, even when your decision may be against the prevailing winds and speaking up may be unpopular? Do you give honest feedback even in difficult conversations with employees?
In order to be seen as a person of integrity people will CHOOSE to follow and WANT to work for, develop a commitment to:
1. Do the right thing, even in tough situations
2. Do things the right way to avoid “undoing”
3. Promote candid dialog in the organization
4. Give individuals permission to tell the truth as they see it
When you vigorously implement these four points, you build a culture of honesty and trust. A culture of honesty and trust translates into people who:
- Dialog to solve problems
- Look for creative solutions
- Become emotionally committed to the organization
- Give authentic contributions
- Take ownership of their jobs and what they produce
- Move from “engagement” to giving discretionary effort
In this environment, you as a charismatic leader can help people grow personally and professionally, thus moving the organization forward. This is critical in today’s culture as organizations can only move ahead as fast their employees can move ahead and employees who are not moving forward are putting the brakes on organizational objectives.
Candid conversations may be the most important outcome of a culture of integrity. One person cannot have enough information to navigate the chaotic waters of information overload in the global marketplace. To make informed decisions, each employee needs to have input based on their loop of knowledge and information. As all share ideas, analyze potential risks and options then synthesize the information down to a path forward, the organization experiences less ambiguity and more forward movement.
Integrity of purpose and action on your part as a leader permits this process to happen. As you demonstrate your commitment to act with integrity, people will be drawn to you, and they will say “We want YOU to be our boss!”
INTEGRITY COACHING
I am partnering with Doug Ross of Principle Dynamics to bring you a preview on the course: Led By Integrity.
Click here to view more information and to register.
Add your comments. In the comment section below, share an experience you have had with a person who acted with integrity when they were in a tough spot.
I like the idea of candid conversations. They need to occur in a high trust environment. This means, by extension, that choosing one’s friends / confidants can have an impact on the integrity discussion. In my experience, a lot of things can be justified in the name of…X. Who we chose to interact with at the candid level helps us to determine our paradigms for what is right and wrong.
As the “Boss,” finding people in the workplace to be candid with can sometimes be difficult.
Thank you for that insight, David. I agree that being candid is a challenge…many natural human blocks.