By African American Books Writer Denise Turney

Integrity offers a good night’s sleep. It can put and keep you in high regard. And, this could be why personal and company mission statements highlight commitment to Operating with Integrity. Yet, operating with integrity won’t always gain you a fast track to success. Why? It’s easier to take shortcuts, especially when you feel like you’re in a tight spot.

Facing Integrity Temptations

In fact, if you’re ever cheated on a test, you’ve experienced how easy it can be to operate on the other side of integrity. Also, some ways that you may have sidestepped integrity include speeding through a red light or lying about not making a mistake on a work project. Your heart and intentions may have been good. But, the risks associated with operating with integrity in these instances may have seemed too high.

And, that’s the rub. There are times when you may find yourself facing hard choices. During these instances, it may seem easier and more advantageous to forego integrity. Doing so could yield short term benefits. However, over the long term, not operating with integrity could cost you.

For example, if you don’t operate with integrity in business, you could face lawsuits and employee turnover. Of course, your brand reputation could also be permanently damaged. Yet, the same voice inside your head that tempted you to take the shortcuts, may also convince you that you won’t pay for your poor choice.

Integrity in the Arts

In fact, that voice may exclaim that you won’t even get caught. You’ll never even be found out. Television shows like American Greed and Luther have pulled in good ratings as viewers watch one person after another who thought he’d never be found out – get caught.

And, as it regards television, the arts is a prime area where the temptation to sidestep operating with integrity can be a problem. Years ago, an aspiring actress might unwillingly shortcut her way onto a major film role through a powerful studio executive. Fortunately, that may be changing.

Examples Missing Integrity

But, there are hidden ways to sidestep integrity and ethics in the arts and business. And, these hidden actions could derail your career. Among examples of not operating with integrity and ethics in the arts and business, there’s:

• Asserting that you graduated from a college or university that you only attended for one semester
• Paying for book reviews to be posted at books sites when you know that the people posting the reviews haven’t read your books
• Posting negative comments and negative reviews on competitor products, websites and social media accounts in the hopes of boosting your product rankings
• Stating that you love a product that you haven’t used once

Writing headlines that confuse readers about the topic of an article in order to drive website traffic is another way to sidestep integrity and ethics in the arts. It’s almost as if you’re competing in a sport and are willing to do anything to win. Yet, if you’ve ever been on the short end of the lack of integrity, you know how painful the experience can be.

Get Clear About What You Want

Also, if you’ve ever signed a bad contract, you know what it feels like to get burned by someone who sidestepped integrity. So, how can you achieve success with integrity in a world where taking unethical shortcuts is, at times, praised?

To begin, get clear about what you truly want. For example, as your primary goal, do you want to write a compelling novel with engaging characters that share universal truths? Or, do you want to sell 100,000 copies of a book in a record number of days?

Operating with Integrity

Your primary goal may impact whether or not you operate with integrity. So, get clear about what you most want. Other ways to encourage integrity are to:

• Set clear boundaries for how you will operate in business and in the arts. Companies do this by developing policies.
• Stick with telling the truth. In fact, setting a boundary of truth can prevent you from engaging in behavior that you’ll later be tempted to lie about to avoid penalty.
• Talk through grey areas with trustworthy partners, family or friends.
• Accept reality. Avoid stepping into the world of illusion and convincing yourself that doing wrong will, somehow, pay off.
• Put yourself on the other end of the deal. For example, how would you feel or think if someone undercut you on a film, book or business contract?

Also, think long term. Consider what would happen should something that you say or do not only be discovered, but gain local, regional or national exposure. After all, you’re building a reputation. Whether you want to or not, you are building your personal brand.

How Do You Want To Be Perceived

Do you want to be known as someone’s who transparent and honest? Or, do you want to spend long hours and years building a remarkable career only to watch that same career disintegrate because choices that you made years ago caught up to you?

This raises another point. To operate in integrity, put your best effort into your work. In other words, respect your audience. Respect your customers. Approach them as the intelligent people that they are. For example, if you’re a novelist, avoid writing “down” to book readers.

As you get in the habit of operating with integrity, honest business decisions may become habit. You also might reduce the number of times that you rationalize poor choices. Instead, you may simply accept that you made a mistake and focus on avoiding making the same mistake again.

Living with Integrity Takes Courage

This is why operating with integrity demands courage. It takes courage to stick with integrity and stay on a path that, although rewarding, may increase the time that it takes you to hit success goals, like sales and revenue targets. And, it takes courage to pass up an entertainment or business deal that would require you to lie, break a law or be unethical.

Over the long term, operating with integrity gifts you with a clear conscience. You can sleep good at night. And, you won’t have to live in fear that unethical deals you made will be exposed. In fact, you might enjoy a rewarding career absent regret.

The post Achieve Success With Integrity appeared first on .