Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Integrity - A Key to Success

By Courtney Pollock

The 8 Keys of Excellence is a powerful framework for personal effectiveness that, if put into practice, promotes successful living and helps to create an environment where each person in your life is valued and respected. Kids and teens at the academic summer camp SuperCamp learn that when you hold yourself accountable for how you apply the 8 Keys to your life, others are more willing to be held accountable for their own choices and actions.

Integrity is the first of the 8 Keys of Excellence. Integrity can be defined as the state of authenticity when our values and actions are aligned. This state of authenticity happens when what we value is evident in our actions. Integrity is first about knowing yourself-your values, desires, talents and dreams-and then being true to that self, in all your actions and interactions.

Living in integrity means making sure your behaviors match your values. When your actions are aligned with your values, you carry yourself with authenticity, sincerity and wholeness. When you define your values, it helps you set goals that are consistent with those values. Together, your values and goals bring a sense of passion and purpose to your life in everything you do. Many people simply behave the way they feel like behaving, and afterwards find some justification-any justification-for why they did what they did. Their values are largely unconsidered.

In contrast, highly successful people use their values to steer their actions. First they reflect, and then they act. Their values motivate their actions, because they choose their actions to complement their values. Check your motivation-can you be honest enough with yourself to truly admit why you're doing something? Is it really a reflection of your values, or is it a reflection of what you want at that moment?

Choose your behavior to reflect your values, and you'll move through life with authenticity, sincerity, and wholeness. When you live with integrity, it'll show. People will trust you, almost instinctively. They'll think of you as a person of your word. You'll be known for your strong character.

When you live with integrity, you'll enjoy a clear conscience. You'll be filled with good feelings about yourself. Those good feelings will pour into everything you say and do. Integrity fosters trust and respect, the cornerstones of good relationships and good relationships are vital to success in all aspects of life. Align your actions with your values.

Live what you value. If you value honesty, be truthful. If you value keeping your word, follow through. If you value being fair, do what you expect others to do. Your identity is who you are, and your integrity is an expression of that identity. So ask yourself - What do you value? How do these values show up in your life? Do your current behaviors support these values?

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