Do you believe yourself to be a person of integrity? One of my favorite authors of the 1990's was John C. Maxwell. His perspectives on the subject of leadership were clear to understand and inspired me to be a leader of character. In his book Becoming a Person of Influence he writes how important personal integrity is:
"It seems that many people view integrity as an outdated idea,
something expendable or no longer applicable to them in our fast-paced world.
But the need for integrity today is perhaps as great as it has ever been."
People who have personal integrity must remain true to themselves and not surrender to the norms of the day. When I was talking with another therapist recently they were commenting that people who do not have self-discipline must depend on others to tell them what to do. Employees who hate micromanagers, but who are not able to work without external motivation, must be micromanaged. People who are over-achievers, self-driven, and have internal motivation often are the ones who receive the most work with the least praise because they require very little attention from their employers. Don't become problematic in order to gain attention. Gain the favor of your employer by sharing with them your challenges, your ideas, and your successes. The squeaky-wheel does not mean you have to squeak negatively. We need warriors in the workplace and in the home. Our employers need to be shown who are the warriors because it's easy to believe everyone is a wimp. Our children need parents who are warriors as well. Men and women who step into the arena and who will stand up for what is right not just what is popular.
Iconic singer and songwriter Michael Jackson released a music video 12 years ago called The Man In the Mirror (above). Michael offers that one way to begin to change the world is to start with changing yourself,
"If you want to make to make the world a better place take a look at yourself and make a change."
Be a person of integrity, say what you mean and mean what you say. Stand up for righteousness and walk away from the mirror knowing you took the road less traveled, the road of integrity.