There are no moral shortcuts in the game of business or life. There are, basically, three kinds of people, the unsuccessful, the temporarily successful, and those who become and remain successful. The difference is character." – Jon Hunstman.
If you have worked with me, you will know that I refuse to compromise on my principles, and I refuse to be seen or known as someone who cannot be trusted and/or who does not keep my word. It would be fair to say I have an extremely strong moral compass, and like me or loathe me for it, the reason behind this is integrity.
What is Integrity?
In my opinion, it is about doing the right thing in the right way, and what I believe is the foundation of many successful businesses and leaders.
Now, does it mean you are always the most popular person in the room, or on the call, or part of a conversation? No, of course it doesn’t. Often, it can mean the opposite. Being honest in the workplace can be uncomfortable, and whether you are the one being honest or receiving honesty, it can sometimes mean that we hear things we do not want to hear.
‘Comfortable’ is where we all like to be (if we are honest), and to get comfortable, we all develop familiar (and convenient) habits, thoughts and behaviours that sometimes need challenging or questioning to grow, change or improve. So, when that does happen, it can leave us feeling uneasy and, at times, even wounded.
However, I strongly feel that is simply not a good enough reason to not be honest. Whilst the ‘truth’ (as we call it), is sometimes scary, and yes, none of us like scary, if we do not become ‘ok’ with feeling uncomfortable at times, we are all just pretending, and where and how does pretending end?
I personally believe that being honest in the workplace is vital to long-term and short-term business and relationship success, but there is no denying that there is a way to go about it. Brutal honesty (a motto of mine) does and can have serious consequences and we therefore, all have a responsibility to be considered and aware.
For me, being honest and not compromising on my integrity isn’t just crucial to being a good person (as Emily), but it is equally as crucial to being successful and fair in the workplace.
I am comfortable with being unpopular for being too honest. Do I like it? No, of course not. I like to be liked, but my integrity trumps that every time, and I am most certainly not comfortable with being popular for pretending, simply because it is easier.
I pick honesty every time.