Leaders: In Which Direction Does Your Moral Compass Point?

AS PUBLISHER and Executive Editor of BIZCATALYST360°, I’ve had the distinct privilege of “curating” over 12,000 articles to date, the vast majority of which have (by mere abundance) been focused on some form of emerging leadership challenge. The process of curating has afforded me the unique opportunity to learn firsthand and ultimately publish what’s topical, what’s relevant and what triggers the greatest response amongst readers — not just of my publication, but hundreds of publications across the globe.

From this particular “big data” vantage point, it’s become increasingly clear that “Elvis has (long ago) left the arena” when it comes to the existence of fundamental core values, such as ethics, integrity and authenticity. Hence; my introduction of authentegrity into the English vocabulary:

authentegrity > adv. 1 of undisputed origin or veracity; genuine. 2 the quality of having a set of morally correct values and principles. 3 proactively displaying a profound strength of character. 4 always doing the right thing, even when no one else is watching. 5 personal and professional behavior of the highest ethical standard. 6 true, real, actual, legitimate. 7 reliable, dependable, trustworthy, unadulterated. 8 generosity of spirit. 9 embracing gratitude and humility.

And it is equally apparent that when Elvis left, he took with him these values from both the leadership AND “lifeship” arena. Because as much as we may all try hard to portray a different version of ourselves at work versus at life, “who we really are” from a core values perspective ultimately surfaces, particularly in the midst of unexpected events or stressful situations. Our guard is let down, our kimono is flung open — and our true character is revealed.

Unfortunately, authentegrity is a tough quality to discern. The problem is that all human interactions are relative. They’re all a function of how we perceive each other through our own subjective lenses.

Being authentic or genuine is also a rare quality. In a world full of phony fads, media hype, virtual personas, positive thinkers, and personal brands — where everyone wants what they don’t have, nobody’s content to be who they are, and, more importantly, nobody’s willing to admit to any of that — it’s becoming more and more rare all the time. At a very fundamental level, this “rare breed” of people display the following behaviors:

They don’t seek attention. They don’t need constant reinforcement of their own ego. Where attention seekers have a hole that constantly needs to be filled, genuine people are already filled with self-confidence and self-awareness.

They’re not concerned with being liked. The need to be liked is born of insecurity and narcissism. It creates a need to manipulate your own and other’s emotions. Confident and authentic people are simply themselves. If you like them, fine. If not, that’s fine, too.

They can tell when others are full of it. Perhaps naïve folks can be easily fooled, but genuine people are not naïve. They’re grounded in reality and that gives them a baseline from which they can tell when things don’t add up. There’s a big difference.

They are comfortable in their own skin. In his late 70s, actor Leonard Nimoy said he was closer than ever to being as comfortable with himself as Spock appeared to be. Most of us struggle with that. As Henry David Thoreau observed, “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.”

They do what they say and say what they mean. They don’t tend to overreach or exaggerate. They meet their commitments. And they don’t parse their words or sugarcoat the truth. If you need to hear it, they’ll tell you … even if it’s tough for them to say and for you to hear.

They don’t need a lot of stuff. When you’re comfortable with whom you are, you don’t need a lot of external stuff to be happy. You know where to find happiness — inside yourself, your loved ones, and your work. You find happiness in the simple things.

They’re not thin-skinned. They don’t take themselves too seriously so they don’t take offense when none is intended.

They’re not overly modest or boastful. Since they’re confident of their strengths, they don’t need to brag about them. Likewise, they don’t exhibit false modesty. Humility is a positive trait but it’s even better to just be straightforward.

They’re consistent. You might describe genuine people as being weighty, solid, or substantial. Since they know themselves well and are in touch with their genuine emotions, they’re more or less predictable … in a good way.

They practice what they preach. They’re not likely to advise people to do something they wouldn’t do themselves. After all, genuine people know they’re no better than anyone else so it’s not in their nature to be self-righteous.

All those seemingly different behaviors have the same thing at their core: self-awareness that’s consistent with reality. Genuine people see themselves as others would if they were objective observers. There’s not a lot of processing, manipulating, or controlling going on between what’s in their head and what people see and hear.

Once you get to know them, genuine people turn out to be more or less consistent with the way they initially hold themselves out to be. What you see is what you get. It’s sad that, in today’s world, such a positive quality is at risk of becoming endangered. Not only is it harder to find in others, it’s becoming harder to be genuine ourselves.

What Really Matters?

We’ve heard it all before. Integrity matters. Ethics matter. Authenticity matters. Character counts. Innumerable articles centered on these “mantras” have been written in recent years, including one of my absolute favorites by Amy Reese Anderson, as published in Forbes: Success Will Come And Go, But Integrity Is Forever. As excerpted from Amy’s Article:

Integrity means doing the right thing at all times and in all circumstances, whether or not anyone is watching. It takes having the courage to do the right thing, no matter what the consequences will be.”

No doubt many of us “do our best” to do the right thing — when it’s easy, when it’s convenient, or perhaps because others are watching. But what if all four of these mantras converged into an ironclad personal code of conduct — in essence, a core value “manifesto?” What if we all actually took this manifesto to heart without exception or compromise — starting right now and continuing every waking minute of every day? Imagine the very real personal and professional impact borne of the simple act of unreservedly embracing a rare, refreshing and relentless commitment to “doing the right thing.” Imagine promises always delivered. Imagine strength of character “unplugged.” Imagine the remarkable possibilities.

One Man’s Theory

Emerging from the substantive curating exercise discussed earlier is my working theory as to why essays on the topics of ethics, integrity, authenticity and character are so popular (in terms of abundance, readership & response levels, etc.). And it’s fairly simple — The popularity is a merely a reflection of a “core value vacuum” surrounding us all. We’re increasingly cynical and untrusting by virtue of our environment. Not only do we presume the absence of character, but we’re remarkably surprised when it appears. It’s a sad commentary (and by default, a competitive advantage) when you can readily distinguish yourself “from the rest” by way of genuine good-faith business dealings founded upon these core values.

Laying Down The Gauntlet

The Principles of Authentegrity are as simple and straightforward as they are rare these days, as evidenced by the headlines we all read and the people we come in contact with. Quoting again from Amy’s Article:

We live in a world where integrity isn’t talked about nearly enough. We live in a world where “the end justifies the means” has become an acceptable school of thought for far too many.”

There’s clearly no rocket science here. Change is not only possible, but without the risk of a downside. No life coaches needed. No self-help books to read. We all have the ability if coupled with the willingness and commitment to take what has unfortunately become the road less traveled. It’s not simply what you do, but how you do it — and whether you do it on such a consistent basis that it becomes your genuine persona, or “second nature.”

Take a moment right now to step back before you look forward to the rest of today. Take a moment to consider that we can all become “better versions” of ourselves, on both a leadership and “lifeship” basis. I offer that that the time has come to cast aside all the reasons, excuses and justifications for “business as usual.” I offer that the time has come to understand and embrace the fact that “success will come and go, but authentegrity is forever.”

How does your current modus operandi fare against such an unbridled approach to strength of character? In which direction is your “moral compass” pointing? Take a moment now to consider your compass alongside the ten fundamental Principles of Authentegrity presented below.

THE PRINCIPLES OF AUTHENTEGRITY

1. I am always honest and trustworthy
2. I am always genuine and forthright
3. My personal and professional behavior is of the highest ethical standard
4. My integrity is beyond compromise and I always do the right thing
5. I am always fair and reasonable
6. I am always respectful and considerate
7. I am always loyal and reliable
8. I am always generous with praise and constructive with criticism
9. I am always understanding, sincere and approachable
10. I openly express gratitude, demonstrate humility and freely share my wisdom of experience

What does your compass reveal? Are you amongst the “ethical elite” or do you come up short in any respect? Now cast aside your opinion. How would you be judged by those who know you the best — your friends, family and professional colleagues? Will they tell you — and can you handle the truth?

While each Principle noted may not be revolutionary in isolation, consider again the impact on your life if you were to embrace every one, every hour of every day — without exception, and starting right now. I offer that the results will be profound. Are you up to the challenge? For those of you who step up to the plate here, please come back and share your experience…