Upholding Integrity: The Hard but Rewarding Path...#53

your principles.

You are walking down the street and spot something on the ground. As you get closer, you see it's a wallet...stuffed full of cash! You can not believe your luck. You quickly look around - no one is watching. The dirty thought creeps in..."Finders keepers, this could really help me out right now."

But then your conscience kicks in. That money is not yours. Keeping it would be theft. You know the right thing is to make every effort to return it. But man, doing the easy selfish thing surely would be tempting...

We have all faced ethical dilemmas like this. Moments where we can justify taking the easy way out, even if it means compromising our principles a little bit. That is often how the slippery slope starts.

As the saying goes,

"It's easier to hold your principles 100% of the time than 98% of the time." - C. Christensen

That 2% wiggle room is the gateway - once you have crossed that line, it becomes easier to keep fudging the rules "just this once."

Consider Bob, who skimmed a few bucks from the cash register at his job to help pay rent. Telling himself it was just a one-time thing. But it was so simple to get away with that he kept taking more until years later, he was fired and arrested for embezzling thousands.

Or Jake, who lied about his sales numbers to his manager to meet his quarterly quota and earn a big bonus. He figured since he was so close, what was the harm in inflating them a little? But then it became easier to keep fudging the statistics until he got caught up in a massive fraud scandal.

In our careers, even tiny ethical lapses can demolish the reputation we have worked so hard for, like a manager who inflates their credentials or achievements, or a salesperson who hides key details to close a deal. Once that lack of integrity is exposed, people will forever see them as dishonest. Re-earning trust normally takes double the time and effort, if it happens at all.

Before any decision, we need to ask ourselves: Is this the wise path that will let me look myself in the mirror with self-respect? Am I staying true to my deepest values and principles? A momentary shortcut is not worth staining your character for life.

Adhering to your principles consistently is challenging. There will be many moments when taking ethical shortcuts seems very tempting because it is easier or benefits you in some way. However, sticking to your moral code is usually better for you in the long run, even if it is harder at first. When you always act with integrity, you build a reputation for being an honest and trustworthy person. This pays off over time through improved relationships, peace of mind, and self-respect. So while upholding your principles can be difficult in certain situations, the steady effort is worthwhile because living ethically leads to better outcomes overall. The easy unethical choice may seem appealing in the moment, but has greater costs down the road.

So when temptation strikes again when that unearned opportunity arises - will you cave to convenience? Or will you summon the strength to do what is right, no matter how tough? The choice is yours to uphold your honesty.

Leonardo ai