I wrote this several years ago. Happened to find it in my files and did some updates. Enjoy.
Merriam-Webster’s Words of the Year often reflect what’s on people’s minds, based on searches in their Online Dictionary and Thesaurus. Back in 2005, “integrity” topped the list by a wide margin, and I’d wager it’s just as relevant today. So, what is integrity, and how does it define leadership, especially in the rough and tumble world of politics?
Most of us sense integrity the way Justice Potter Stewart described pornography: we can’t always define it, but we know it when we see it. Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition, calls integrity a “firm adherence to a code, especially moral or artistic values: incorruptibility.” It’s about steadfast commitment to a strict moral or ethical code, honesty, and freedom from corrupting influences. In short, it’s uprightness, doing what’s right even when no one’s watching.
For a leader, personal integrity isn’t optional; it’s the bedrock of who they are. Leading with integrity demands constant effort and can’t be faked. A true leader feels it in their gut, their core beliefs, that honesty and trustworthiness aren’t just buzzwords but the only way to operate. A leader with integrity will:
Have a clear vision of who they are and what they stand for.
Live their core values in thought, word, and deed, without wavering.
Own their accountability to those they lead, no excuses.
Draw power from their principles, not their title.
Ask the right questions to bring clarity and inspire commitment.
Communicate openly, never hiding their values or motives.
Respect peers, subordinates, and all team members, valuing their input.
Hold fast to the conviction that doing the ethical thing is the only way to lead.
In any organization, be it a business or political, integrity starts at the top. Without integrity in leadership, the whole structure crumbles. If a leader lacks integrity, even the most principled members will either leave or lose their way. In politics, this means caucus and team leaders must embody the highest level of integrity. They can’t lie or shade the truth to appease their caucus or push an agenda; twisting facts to rally the team erodes trust and undermines the mission. A leader’s word must be their bond, plain and simple.
Equally critical, a leader must never cut backroom deals with the opposition and then try to strong-arm their own team into falling in line. That’s not leadership; it’s betrayal. True leaders don’t negotiate away their principles in secret and then pressure their team to swallow a “deal” that compromises their values. Integrity demands transparency and loyalty to the team you’re elected to lead. If a leader’s working with the other side, their team should know it upfront, not after the fact when they’re being corralled into compliance. Anything less is a breach of trust that fractures unity and respect.
Corporate boards set ethical standards for businesses; in politics, the voters and caucus members hold leaders accountable. Leaders must be chosen for their unwavering personal integrity and their commitment to the team’s shared values. If the leadership has integrity, the organization follows suit. Systems and processes must reinforce ethical behavior, ensuring choices are made with honesty and principle.
Leading with integrity is a tightrope walk, especially in politics where tough calls can pit loyalty against pragmatism. Decisions about budgets, policies, or legislative priorities test a leader’s mettle. It takes courage to choose the right path when it’s unpopular or when it risks political capital. But a leader with integrity knows the proper course instinctively. The world may not always cheer, but if those decisions are rooted in detectable integrity, they’ll earn respect. On the flip side, playing games with people’s trust, whether it’s constituents or caucus members, is a dead giveaway of weak character. Folks on the ground can smell inauthenticity a mile away.
Too often, leaders’ words don’t match their actions, and that’s where trust dies. Employees, constituents, or caucus members stop listening to what’s said and start watching what’s done. Leaders who say one thing to “sell” a policy or deal while doing another aren’t leading; they’re manipulating. True leaders say what they mean and mean what they say. As John F. Kennedy put it, “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” A leader with integrity doesn’t leave people guessing; they’ve already laid out their intentions clearly.
Integrity also shines through in consistency. A leader’s actions must always align with the “right thing to do” or the “next right thing.” Team members know what to expect because they trust the leader’s moral compass. And when leaders show kindness and care for their team’s well-being, whether it’s employees or team-members, they inspire loyalty. People follow managers because they have to; they follow leaders because they want to. A motivated team, led by someone they respect, will go the extra mile every time. It’s easier to achieve goals, whether passing legislation or running a company, when people are all in.
King Solomon nailed it: “Kindness and faithfulness keep a king safe, through kindness his throne is made secure.” Be kind and faithful to those you lead and those you serve, and your leadership will stand firm.
Hmmmm…
Kevin
“Live so that when your children think of fairness and integrity, they think of you.” – H. Jackson Brown Jr.
“Character, in the long run, is the decisive factor in the life of an individual and of nations alike.” – Theodore Roosevelt
“Whenever you do a thing, act as if all the world were watching.” – Thomas Jefferson
Originally published on Substack: https://kevinjmccabe.substack.com/p/leadership-and-integrity