What comes to mind when others think of you and your business? When they reflect back on doing business with you, or their association or interaction with you, does the word Integrity come to mind? Or do they question your actions or think of their past dealings with you in a not so positive way?

Integrity … either you have it, or you don’t!

Wikipedia defines integrity as “… the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness. It is generally a personal choice to uphold oneself to consistent moral and ethical standards.”

Your integrity is the one thing someone else can’t take from you. The only way you can lose your integrity is if YOU give it up. Everything else is up for grabs.

When everything is said and done, all you really have is your integrity. Do what you say you’ll do, when you say you’ll do it. No excuses!

You can have the most phenomenal skills and a higher level of expertise than anyone you know, but if you don’t have integrity, it’s all for naught. In fact, people will often overlook a mistake or two as long as you are honest and come from a place of integrity. I remember an instance many years ago, when working for a “not so nice and extremely difficult” boss at a rather large soft drink company in Los Angeles. I made a couple of mistakes on an internal report and a newsletter, and my boss said to me … “No matter how many mistakes you make, I can’t fault you because you are always honest about it and take responsibility.” Coming from her, I took it as a great compliment. Of course I did my best NOT to make any more mistakes, but it was still a compliment.

When dealing with others – clients, prospects, team members, anyone at all, always remember to come from a place of integrity. Be honest. Do what you say you’ll do – when you say you’ll do it. Take responsibility for your actions. Maintain your standards and good ethics. That’s integrity. As long as you can maintain your integrity, nothing else really matters.

And as I’ve said, When everything is said and done, all you really have is your integrity. It is probably the most important thing you have in life and business … so don’t give it up!