A survey by Robert Half Management Resources of 1,000 office employees and 2,000+ CFOs uncovered that integrity is the most essential leadership trait to all demographics. Managers and executives who lead with integrity are honest, trustworthy, and dependable. That impact is felt whether you realize it or not. Amongst team members, a manager with integrity will earn trust and respect and, in turn, greater loyalty and dependability. With investors, clients, and stakeholders, operating with integrity allows the team to build credibility and rise above competition who may not be working with the same values—especially in today’s global environment.
So, how can you model integrity to build up your team and your business as a leader? Let’s uncover a few places to start.
5 Simple Ways Leaders Can Model Integrity
A leader with integrity operates with sound moral principles at the forefront of everything they do. It’s a combination of consistent action and unbreakable ethical values, whether innate or learned after years of operating differently and seeing the negative results of that firsthand.
To start, here are five ways you should act with integrity to earn your team members’ trust, respect, and dependability for a more engaged team.
Don’t Abuse Your Position
Acting with integrity means positively using your power. It doesn’t mean bullying, shaming, avoiding and delegating responsibility, or undermining your team’s efforts. Instead, you need to operate in a way that puts your team’s success above your own because, in reality, that can only lead to mutual success! So focus on supporting, mentoring, and lifting up, and success will come.
Be Honest, Always
When you’re honest and uphold your team to the same standard, you create an environment where it’s okay to make mistakes and learn. As a result, there is no sweeping of issues under the rug that could manifest into more significant problems down the road. Instead, it creates an open line of communication with you and your team, allowing positive accountability that leads to long-term growth and positive company culture.
Give Praise Where it is Due
One of the biggest signs of a true leader is praising those who are doing the right thing, even if no one is watching them. Putting the spotlight on those team members who are working hard, crushing goals, overcoming obstacles, and leading with integrity themselves is a way to inspire others to act the same.
Consistently Self-Audit
They say you have to practice what you preach to earn respect. Are you practicing what you preach? Do you encourage your team to show up early to meetings, yet you’re late every time? Perhaps you preach the importance of taking on responsibility, but you delegate every possible task even when you have the time and bandwidth to take it on yourself?
Think about what you’re preaching and ensure you’re acting accordingly. Make this a 30-minute meeting with yourself on your calendar monthly just to check in and ensure you’re leading positively.
Honor Every Commitment
It’s important to finish things you start out to complete. Don’t say yes to more if you’re too flat-out with tasks. It’s important to set firm boundaries to show your team that that’s okay. But also show that follow-through is the most critical part if you accept a task.
These simple moral principles will inspire your employees to respect and trust you. They will be more prone to want to grow in their career with you leading the way because it’s apparent that you care. This is the first step towards greater engagement and long-term business success!
Increase Your Employee Engagement with Leadership Training from NimblyWise
Historically, those companies with higher employee engagement are more successful than those with lower engagement scores. They have lower absenteeism, lower turnover, higher customer satisfaction scores, and higher profitability.
So, when looking at what your company can do to raise the bottom line and increase both employee and client satisfaction, it could be time to take a look at the integrity of your leadership and how it’s impacting your team’s engagement.
If you want your leadership team to lead by example with integrity at the forefront, executive training can help! Let’s chat about how.
