The definition of integrity is a bit like beauty—it’s in the eyes of the beholder. It’s a word loaded with ambiguous meaning, which is a bit surprising. Because, everyone knows what having integrity means. Right? Maybe not! When I’ve asked a group of 10 executives or 10 business students for their definition of integrity, I get widely differing opinions. It seems we all talk about integrity, but we’re not exactly sure what it is.
Here are some examples I’ve heard: “Doing the right thing when no one is looking.”, “Doing what you say you’re going to do.”, or “Being who you are (the same person) in all situations.” “Know what’s right and doing it every time.” The common thread running through these definitions is they’re all action oriented, containing the verbs doing and being. So, let’s take a look at some formal definitions and see if we can add some clarity.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary gives us three potential meanings:
- Firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values.
- An unimpaired condition.
- The quality or state of being complete or undivided.
These definitions are a start, but they’re incomplete and need further enhancement. Wikipedia provides us with some additional clues: “Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.” Vocabulary.com adds some additional depth: “Having integrity means doing the right thing in a reliable way. It’s a personality trait that we admire, since it means a person has a moral compass that doesn’t waver.” Finally, the Thesaurus provides these synonyms: honesty, purity, sincerity, goodness, forthrightness, candor, rectitude, and honorableness. I don’t know about you, but this still seems ambiguous. Let’s try building something meaningful ourselves
Let’s start with the word integrity. It’s derived from the Latin word integer, which means whole or complete. Coincidentally, this is also the third selection that Merriam-Webster gave us. So, perhaps we’re onto something here. Being whole or complete implies internal consistency. But, consistency with what? For that answer we look at the first selection Merriam-Webster provided, a code of values. Everyone has a code of values that govern their behavior. I may not like your code of values, but I must acknowledge its existence. I think we now have all of the parts necessary for creating our working definition of integrity.
We combine internal consistency with a code of values, and we can say that integrity is consistently acting in harmony with a code of values. We could shorten this definition by saying that integrity is having the courage of your convictions. Yes, I can see the frowns on your faces. I can hear the mental gears humming! You’re thinking, this definition could allow a criminal the claim of integrity. Yes, you would be correct. Using this definition, a criminal could assert that he or she has integrity. Our satisfaction with such an assertion revolves around the appropriateness of the code of values, which is reflected in the operation of our Internal Compass.
Do you have integrity?
