“The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly.” 

This is true picture of this man! sir Raja May day belong sir.

 

 Face of co elders. i remain loyal oooooooo.

         

Leadership and the Importance of Integrity

 

The Importance of Integrity in Leadership
Leaders are not able to lead people any farther than they have been. When it comes to integrity, there are no shortcuts in the process. Shortcuts can have disastrous results. This fact points to the importance of the process in development. Development is a daily process with goes on day by day (Maxwell, John, 1993).
This is the Law of Process. Simply stated, the Law of Process is defined as the daily development of the leader. This is likened to investing in the stock market. Those who try to make a fortune in a day fail but those who invest day by day for the long haul will be successful. It is also true in leadership development. Leadership is developed over the long haul. Integrity is built over the long haul (Maxwell, John, 2007). Maxwell recalled a memory from his younger days when he played basketball. It seemed his coach had the mantra, “You play like you practice; you play like you practice.” Maxwell warns that leaders fail to follow this same principle in their lives they fail to reach their full potential. Maxwell further warns that these leaders will soon lose credibility with their subordinates (Maxwell, John, 1993).
Integrity Helps a Leader Be Credible, Not Just Clever
Cleverness relies upon tricks and gimmicks which never lasts. Clever leaders never last. History is littered with fallen leaders who relied upon their guile rather than integrity. Leaders must earn trust to be effective. Sincere leaders do not have to convince their subordinates of their sincerity (Maxwell, John, 1993). Integrity is sincere and gives no false appearance. These are leaders whose words match their actions. General Wilbur Creech, commander of the United States Tactical Air Command in the 1980’s, embodied integrity. One story that is told about him was when he conducted an inspection of a base, he found the supply sergeant sitting in a chair held together with electrical tape and propped up with a brick. When asked why he had such a chair, the general was informed that there were no new chairs for sergeants. The general assured the man that the situation would be resolved. Creech sent the chair to the general of logistics at Langley Air Force base and told him that the broken chair was his until he resolved the sergeant’s problem. While the sergeant waited for his new chair, the general’s chair would be used by the sergeant. General Creech’s words matched his actions. This had two beneficial effects. First, it enhanced the loyalty of the soldiers towards him. Second, it enhanced the loyalty of the soldiers to the Air Force (Fogleman, Ronald, 2008). This is how integrity helps a leader.
Integrity is a Hard Won Achievement
Strength of character is not won overnight. It is a rare commodity in a world focused on instant gratification. The modern world is lacks role models of integrity. The meaning of integrity has been corrupted by culture. With reality shows promoting values antithetical to the idea of integrity, it is no small wonder that people no longer know the meaning of the word. To test one’s integrity individuals must simply ask if they are being true to themselves, their leaders, and their followers.
Conclusion
The lack of integrity in all aspects of modern culture has created a leadership vacuum. This lack of integrity has created divided loyalties, hypocrisy, and ambiguity. Integrity stresses the importance of unity of the personality and wholeness of the person. For leaders to be effective, they must have influence. To have influence, they must have integrity. To have integrity, the leader’s words must match her actions.