For an open agenda

“Make sure you are expressing your goals and vision”, I read in an article. “As part of your motivation, your values and as part of what you stand for” it continued.

Oh, how different things would be if only people were expressing their true goals and we all knew who was standing for what.  If everyone, especially our aspiring leaders in any field, expressed their true agenda openly and honestly, how followers would respond then?

"Openness, transparency - these are among the few weapons the citizenry has to protect itself from the powerful and the corrupt." (Michael Moore) 

Regaining Integrity

“Can you restore your integrity and if yes, how?” was the first question I received after the previous post, followed by the second question “What does integrity mean to you?”

The first answer is easy: Yes.

Of course we can restore integrity, like, I believe, we can restore anything – with more or less effort. The "how" is directly connected with the second question: what is integrity actually?

The dictionary defines Integrity as the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. So, if we are honest and we have strong moral principles, we live a life of integrity, right?

Well, actually no. Having strong moral principles is one thing. Following them in all situations is another. Perhaps that is why I like the quotation “Integrity means that you are the same in public as you are in private.” This is the honesty that I appreciate.

Now back to the question of how it can be restored - just by making the decision and the commitment to be honest and to act in all situations according to our values and moral principles.

But that is not the problem. The real problem and challenge is whether we can restore what had been compromised when we lost our integrity: trust. You see, when we gamble with out integrity through the compromises we make which we think that are indispensible, there is an important collateral damage: losing the trust of others. Then, the question becomes if and how we restore trust.

Think personal, but think business too: what does it mean losing the trust of your partner, your friends, your peers, your clients,…

Bottom line is: never gamble with your integrity. The long-term losses are much higher that any temporary gain.

On Integrity

Live so that when your children think of fairness, caring, and integrity, they think of you. 
~ H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the trough. Do the right think because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity. 
~ W. Clement Stone

It's not what we eat but what we digest that makes us strong; not what we gain but what we save that makes us rich; not what we read but what we remember that makes us learned; and not what we profess but what we practice that gives us integrity.
~ Francis Bacon

To give real service you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity. 
~ Douglas Adams

It is true that integrity alone won't make you a leader, but without integrity you will never be one. 

~ Zig Ziglar

Integrity is choosing your thoughts and actions based on values rather than personal gain. 

~ Unknown 

If everyone were clother with integrity,if every heart were just, frank, kindly, the other virtues would be well-night useless, since their chief purpose is to make us bear with patience the injustice of our fellows.  

~ Jean Baptiste Molière, Le Misanthrope 

Integrity is the essence of everything successful.

~ R. Buckminster Fuller

A "No" That Matters

We are defined by the “noes” we say.

In February, I wrote about the guilt-free “no”, the one that was about self-care and respect.

Here, I write about another kind of “no”, the one that is about our integrity.

We might be very tempted to take this job, or grab that “opportunity” that we think will bring us closer to our goal(s). What happens when this “opportunity” requires actions, partnerships, or anything else that goes against our values? That lowers our standards or goes against what we say we stand for? Shall we practice flexibility? Will we be proud of our success once achieved? Will our image or brand name be affected? Shall we sleep well at night? Even if we silence the voice of conscience and we convince ourselves that our self-respect is not affected, will we still be in harmony with who we know we want to be and what we do?

We are not only judged by the things we do. We are also judged by the things we refuse to do.

Learn your values. And learn to say "no" to everything that goes against them. No opportunity comes from any such compromise. 

No Excuses

With the shocking increase of votes for a neo-nazi party in Greece in the local elections, I have been constantly hearing the excuse that 'people are angry; it’s a vote of reaction'.

“It is wise to direct your anger towards problems – not people; to focus your energies on answers – not excuses.” (William Arthur Ward)

There are no excuses anymore. In the information era, one should have by now a very clear idea of who they are voting for.

Practicing our fundamental right to vote means responsibility. And the greater the problems, the greater the responsibility. Even for a vote of 'reaction', we have the responsibility to learn, research, to keep informed and to make a decision that provides answers.

I accept no excuses. If we are responsible citizens, then we focus our energy on finding solutions; on making progress and not excuses. 

Whose Business Is It Anyway?

“It’s none of our business”, was the reply I heard this afternoon when sharing my concerns about the ethics of a particular business situation.

“It’s none of your business”, I heard a couple of hours later when I voiced my concerns over a situation that was putting a child in danger.

Starting with the second case, it’s not my child; therefore that makes it “none of my business”. This invalid argument would imply that we should all witness parents’ troubling, or even abusive, acts and not react because we are not the parents of those children. How much sense does that make?

In the first case, everything that has to do with my profession is indeed my business. Who do we expect to safeguard the standards of our profession? There is a shared responsibility here and no one can deny that. We join professional bodies, we take oaths, we commit to ethics regulations and we honor all that. It is our business to voice anything unethical that comes to our notice, anything that violates those commitments, anything that harms the reputation of our profession, anything that affects the trust in what we do.

It is our business to watch our politicians, to demand that they perform to the standards for which they have been elected, with accountability, integrity and effectiveness.

It is our business to make sure our children get the education that they deserve.

It is our business to demand that our taxes be spent and invested wisely.

It is our business to protect the environment.

It is our business to expect that our data be protected.

It is our business to tell another customer that he/she is being rude to an employee and vice versa.

I could produce an endless list of the things that are our business, because everything is our business. Things do not just happen. Things are allowed to happen. And while we remain in our “peace bubble” of none-of-my-business, things – bad things – will continue to happen. Unless we speak up.

Rumors: Don't Be an Idiot!

Rumor: noun. A currently circulating story or report of uncertain or doubtful truth. (Oxford Dictionaries) 

“Rumors are nearly as old as human history, but with the rise of the Internet, they have become ubiquitous. In fact we are now awash in them. False rumors are especially troublesome; they impose real damage on individuals and institutions, and they often resist correction. They can threaten careers, policies, public officials, and sometimes even democracy itself.” (Cass R. Sunstein)

They can be harmful and destructive.

Next time you hear a rumor ask yourself what are the facts and distinguish rumor from reality.

“People should get their information from the source with facts before sharing it. Rumors can be lots of different opinions, based on what other people think. This is where lies begin to build and develop into things that are harmful to others.” (Ellen J. Barrier)

Remember:

“Rumors are carried by haters, spread by fools, and accepted by idiots.” (Ziad K. Abdelnour)

 Most often

“Rumors are mostly a projection of the individual who started them.” (Roya R. Rad)

Separate yourself from such an individual and before spreading rumors, keep in mind that

“A lie can run round the world before the truth has got its boots on.” (Terry Pratchett)

Whether they are personal or professional, rumors can cause misfortunes; they can easily destroy reputations, careers and relationships.

“Serious misfortunes, originating in misrepresentation, frequently flow and spread before they can be dissipated by truth.” (George Washington) 

Do you want to be responsible for such misfortunes? For one is equally accountable for spreading rumors, not only when generating them.

“A rumor is a social cancer: it is difficult to contain and it rots the brains of the masses. However, the real danger is that so many people find rumors enjoyable. That part causes the infection. And in such cases when a rumor is only partially made of truth, it is difficult to pinpoint exactly where the information may have gone wrong. It is passed on and on until some brave soul questions its validity; that brave soul refuses to bite the apple and let the apple eat him. Forced to start from scratch for the sake of purity and truth, that brave soul, figuratively speaking, fully amputates the information in order to protect his personal judgment. In other words, his ignorance is to be valued more than the lie believed to be true.”  (Chriss Jami)

Be a brave soul.

Glorious Tasks

"Being good is commendable, but only when it is combined with doing good is it useful." (Unknown) 

"I am not in the mood", "It's not a good time for me now", "It's not convenient", "I'm tired", etc. Replies we sometimes hear - or give - when faced with a situation where we can help. 
We do not help when it is convenient, when it is easier, when we are in the mood. We do not do good deeds because of rewards, for our image, or for any approval. Good deeds are done because they need to be done. 

"Know you not that a good man does nothing for appearance sake, but for the sake of having done right?" (Epictetus) 

Having done right meant that we might do things that are not "convenient" for us, or that we might get out of our way to do them, or step our of our comfort zone. But we all have the capacity to do something nice, kind, helpful. Something that can make even the slightest difference to someone else. 

"To be doing good deeds is man's most glorious task." (Sophocles) 

Photo credit: http://www.37days.com/2013/11/daily-rock-generous.html

Time for an Evolution of Ethics

Today was marked by news: from Syria, Ukraine, Venezuela and my country. And then there was this article from the UK. A man starved to death after his benefits were cut off.

It is often said that the measure of a civilization is how it treats its weakest members. 

What kind of a civilization have we created when in 2014, despite so many scientific advancements, we haven been unable to make the noblest advancement of all: of our humanity. 

Maybe it’s high time that we started focusing our evolution as a species on the evolution of ethics.

“The first step in the evolution of ethics is a sense of solidarity with other human beings.” 

          Albert Schweitzer

No Grey Areas

Under the most stressed circumstances today - waiting outside a surgery room - I had the unexpected pleasure to meet a fascinating person. I have to confess that I wasn't very keen to talk with him, as I was biased due to his former activity (ex-politician). After 5 minutes talking my opinion of him was changed. Then, he gave me a copy of an old interview of his where I read "Freedom is a strange thing, you cannot have half freedom".

For some reason it reminded me of several things. It reminded me of Helen Keller's words "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing", of selective - half justice, of selective kindness, selective compassion. 

Maybe for some things there cannot be any grey areas, any flexibility. We cannot be selectively nice (either we are nice or not); we cannot be flexibly ethical; we cannot have half rights. 

Note to self:

Speak with people even reluctantly. Let yourself be surprised by them more often. 

Some things can only be black or white. There are no grey areas, no in-between. 

Speak Up!

Today I had a conversation with a dear colleague about an unpleasant situation. While we were talking she confessed her demotivation due to specific behaviors. She found them very inappropriate, yet stayed like the majority of the people witnessing them, silent. I replied with Edmund Burke’s words: “all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing”.

We were heading towards an outcome that was going to destroy the efforts of years and where the “evil” would triumphed.  Then I confessed my own frustration for the silence of the others, that none stood up for what they (we) considered right.

Most of my life has been defined by Confucius words: "To see and listen to the wicked is already the beginning of wickedness." I have refused to silently listen and see the wicked, which brings me often to trouble. But then, I know I am true to myself and in peace, although many times I have to face undesired conflicts, even bullying, just to shut up.

Nobody likes conflicts. Nobody wants to engage in situations that are not what they were supposed to be, or where it seems pointless to speak up. Yet not being heard is no reason for silence. And if all you need is a little courage in order for you to speak, consider that as a testing point.

“Courage is not simply one the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point” (C.S. Lewis)

Speak up and remember: “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” (Bishop Desmond Tutu)

I speak up. Sometimes I am heard, sometimes I get into trouble. All of the times I stay true to my commitment to integrity.