Importance of Integrity in Professional Life

You log in to work, ready for a productive day, but then it happens again... - Promises made, but never kept. - Leaders preaching values, but playing favorites. - Colleagues who smile to your face but take credit behind your back. Integrity: the most over-promised and under-delivered value in the workplace. But what does integrity at work really mean? - Keeping your word, even when it’s inconvenient. - Recognizing others, even when they’re not in the room. - Making decisions based on principles, not politics. Integrity is the backbone of trust. And trust? - Boosts productivity. - Builds strong teams. - Drives long-term success. Without it: - Teams break down. - Respect disappears. - Work becomes just a paycheck, not a purpose. I’ve been there—I know. If you can’t find integrity in your workplace, bring it yourself: - When a project is tough, don’t sugarcoat it. Be honest about the challenges and propose solutions. - If someone steals your work, have an open conversation and set boundaries, making it clear that this behavior is unacceptable. - When you make a promise, keep it. Build trust one action at a time. Why does this matter? - You may not change the entire culture, but you’ll attract like-minded individuals. - You’ll build a network of people who share your values. - And that network will become your greatest asset. I’ve seen this firsthand. Even after leaving toxic workplaces, I remain connected to those rare, trustworthy colleagues who valued honesty and fairness. Today, they’re not just my network—they’re my friends. That’s worth far more than adapting to a toxic culture for short-term gains. So: - Speak up, even when it’s hard. - Stand firm, even when it’s unpopular. - Build relationships that reflect honesty and respect. Because: Integrity might not give you the fastest promotion, but it will give you something better—a reputation no one can take away. And in time, people will connect to your Wi-Fi-level integrity—because it’s the real deal. * * * ➜ Follow for more posts on how to build life on your term and thrive by choosing integrity when others don’t!

The dirty secret: Why unethical influence kills careers faster than incompetence (and how to lead without selling your soul). Influence without integrity is short-term power. You can manipulate. You can deceive. You can bully your way to the top — for a while. But it burns fast. And it leaves nothing but ashes behind. As a KGB Spy, I observed leaders rise through pure manipulation. Control through fear. Influence through deception. It always ended the same way: Collapse from the inside. Because influence without integrity creates rot you cannot see until it is too late. Here is how to lead without selling your soul: • Never overpromise — but strive to overdeliver The manipulator over-promises because they need the dopamine hit of approval. The ethical leader promises less — and delivers more. And trust builds up quietly behind the scenes. • Align your private moves with your public face. If you say one thing and operate another way, it leaks. Always. Maybe not today. Maybe not this quarter. But eventually — the contradictions will drag you down harder than any competitor ever could. • Bet on trust, even when fear looks more convenient. It is easy to scare people into following you. It is harder — and far more profitable — to earn their loyalty instead. Real leadership means you do not win by pushing harder. You win by building foundations no competitor can touch. This is what I always tell the executives I mentor: The boardroom is a battlefield. But the strongest players do not move like desperate men trying to cling to power. They move like royalty. Secure. Rooted. Permanent. The bottom line: If you cheat to get influence, you will have to cheat to keep it. And eventually, you will cheat yourself into defeat. If you build it with integrity, you will not have to hold it. It will hold YOU.

In the fast pace of our careers, it’s easy to focus on goals, deadlines, and numbers. But I’ve found that two questions bring me back to what truly matters: 1. What’s the story I want to tell? 2. What’s the story I never want to have to tell? These two questions keep me grounded and help guide me through tough decisions. Here’s how they’ve impacted my approach: Handling Client Expectations: When a client’s expectations don’t align with our capabilities, it’s tempting to overpromise to keep things smooth in the moment. But I ask myself: What’s the story I want to tell about this partnership? I’d rather be upfront now than risk disappointing later, maintaining trust and setting up a longer-lasting relationship. These questions impact how I make ethical business decisions. In a world of shortcuts, it’s easy to think, “What harm will it do if no one knows?” This is where the second question kicks in: What’s the story I never want to have to tell? If a decision would create a story I’d be ashamed of sharing with my team or clients, I know it’s time to reconsider. I could easily lie to a client to try get another engagement, but if I land the opportunity, a liar did, and that’s a story I wouldn’t want to tell. These questions also help me build trust with my team. When it comes to my team, transparency is key. Even if it’s a tough call or a setback, I ask myself if the story I’m building is one of honesty and respect. Because one day, I want to tell a story about a team that trusted each other and thrived because of it. Integrity isn’t always easy, but it’s always worth it. By staying focused on the stories we want to tell and avoiding the ones we don’t, we create a legacy that speaks louder than any numbers on a spreadsheet. What are some questions that guide your work?

I lied about my career on a date. I went home that night feeling disgusted with myself. Something inside me felt compelled to stretch the truth. But… why? Later that night, I asked myself: “Why would someone like me, who is confident and accomplished, feel the need to lie?” So I started digging. And what I found was eye-opening: 🔹 40% of hiring managers lie to candidates (CNBC) 🔹 72% of applicants lie on their resumes (Forbes) 🔹 81% of people lie during interviews (Harvard) At first, I chalked it up to a toxic culture… But the deeper truth? We lie because we think it gives us an edge. Yet the data proves the opposite. Applicants who show vulnerable honesty in interviews by owning gaps, transitions, or failures, are 30% more likely to get hired than those who over-polish or exaggerate (Integrity Staffing). Why? Because authenticity builds trust, and trust is what leaders hire. In fact, even the Navy Seals rank trust higher than performance when choosing their leaders. My prediction is this new era of hiring will continue to trend more towards emotional intelligence, transparency, trust, and self-awareness over flawless performance. This is what I teach all my clients: ✅ Stop trying to impress, and start trying to connect. ✅ Own your story, including the messy parts. ✅ Lead with honesty, because that’s what others want in return. Lying may get your foot in the door, but the truth gets you the offer. Start there. For more content on #leadership, #hiring, and #PeakPerformance, follow me, Alex Wisch.

When Integrity Prevails: Lessons from an Unexpected Twist In leadership, unexpected challenges can test resilience and integrity. Recently, I had a client whose situation highlighted both. Her team was thriving, delivering beyond expectations. Yet, out of the blue, her boss urged her to resign, citing the CEO’s supposed request. Rather than accepting this without question, she decided to seek clarity directly from the CEO, only to uncover a startling reality: the CEO had been told by her boss that she wanted to leave, not the other way around. Once the truth came out, it was her boss who was dismissed, and she was promoted. This experience underscores several powerful lessons for professionals at any level: 1. Transparency is Key: When something seems off, seek clarity with those who matter. In this case, a direct conversation with the CEO revealed the truth. Transparency can quickly dissolve misunderstandings and reveal agendas. 2. Trust but Verify: Even senior leaders can have misaligned motives. When life-altering decisions hinge on someone’s word, it's wise to confirm critical details, especially if they significantly impact your career. 3. Speak Up Early: If something doesn’t feel right, don’t ignore it. Addressing concerns openly—sooner rather than later—can prevent larger issues from unfolding. By speaking up, my client preserved her career and reputation. 4. Maintain Senior Connections: Cultivating relationships with key executives fosters alignment and offers support in challenging situations. This network can be crucial, especially when intermediaries may misrepresent intentions. 5. Integrity Wins: Ultimately, her track record and ethical approach worked in her favor. This situation reinforces that consistent performance and integrity are the best safeguards against misrepresentation. In the corporate world, challenges like these can seem daunting. However, by staying true to our values, prioritizing transparency, and advocating for ourselves, we not only protect our careers but also model resilience for our teams. This story serves as a reminder: in the end, integrity has a way of winning out.

Assistants, you won’t find this in your job description, but it can absolutely shape your career. Not your title. Not your resume. Not even your skillset. Your REPUTATION. Because while you’re doing the work, people are also watching how you work. 📌 Are you dependable when no one’s checking behind you? 📌 Do you protect confidence, or do you carry gossip? 📌 Do you solve problems or just pass them off? 📌 Do people associate your name with calm, clarity, and execution? I have seen this first hand. You can be the most talented assistant in the building, but if your name doesn’t carry trust, respect, and professionalism with it? You. Will. Get. Overlooked. Every time. Now let’s add a layer to this: Your personal brand is what you say about yourself. Your reputation is what others say about you when you’re not in the room. 🔵 Personal Brand = What you project 🟣 Reputation = What you’ve earned And trust me, it’s your reputation that gets brought up in rooms you haven’t even entered yet. In closed-door meetings. In hiring decisions. In promotion conversations. So yes, polish your brand and do so with intention. But more importantly? Build a reputation that backs it up. ✅ Show up consistently ✅ Communicate clearly ✅ Deliver with excellence ✅ Protect your executive’s trust ✅ Lead with integrity even when no one’s watching Because when your brand matches your reputation? That’s when people trust you. Refer you. Promote you. So assistants, let me ask you: ❔ What do you want your reputation to say about you? ❔ Better yet, what is it already saying? #evolvedassistant #administrativeassistant #executivesupport #administrativeprofessional #executiveassistant

What makes a great leader? I really like this Harvard Business Review from last year and agree with so much of what it says, but something is missing. I continue to see countless posts about what qualities make for great leaders, and most of them tend to miss one major leadership trait that, in my opinion, is the one of the most important: integrity. So how can leaders and founders build - and maintain - integrity? When I think about integrity, one of the first things that comes to mind is your reputation. What are you known for today (colleagues, managers, friends) and what do you want to be known for? Ask those questions of yourself and figure out honest answers. That’s what starts to build trust among your relationships, your colleagues, your employees and beyond. Be accountable. Own your mistakes. Build your team up, not just yourself. As Katie Koch said in her latest LinkedIn post, be a "force multiplier." You are accountable for the actions of your team, not just yourself. Accountability and ownership go a long way in evaluating the integrity of your leadership. Be original. Whether you’re in the traditional workforce or in entrepreneurship, make sure you are not taking credit for someone else’s work. Do not “borrow” ideas from a peer or colleague. Sure, two ideas can happen simultaneously, but you need to do the work. Stand out for what you contribute, your impact, what you (and/or your business/team) brings to the table. Throughout my finance career and now as an entrepreneur, I see a lot of "copycats" which still amazes me. Last, and perhaps most importantly, listen. Don’t be afraid of feedback. Have open one-on-one dialogue with the people around you. Get to the truth of how your team, your leaders, your peers, your customers, perceive you, which further informs how they view your team . And when you get those answers, adjust accordingly so you can work towards improvement. Integrity is essentially a commitment to business ethics, and to people. Don’t take the easy way out. Be honest, accept feedback, do the right thing. At some point throughout your career, someone will likely claim credit for your idea. If you’ve been guilty of this, own up to your mistake(s) and vow to do better next time. Learning from our mistakes is a sign of true integrity. https://lnkd.in/gVsaBbCE

Not long ago, I was having lunch with a lawyer I have known a long time. We used to be adversaries when I was a defense lawyer, but now we collaborate on plaintiffs' cases. As one might expect, we talked about cases, and the lawyers defending those cases. A particular defense attorney came up - a true "Bar leader," someone who has held various offices and received multiple honors. This is a lawyer who is known for speaking out about the Bar's need for collegiality and integrity. The problem is that this character's actual conduct in the handling of cases is anything but honorable. We both agreed that the attorney simply couldn't be trusted. My friend has seen a consistent pattern of misrepresentations (putting it nicely). I had had the similar experiences, even seeing it when I was a fellow defense lawyer. Forty years of being a trial lawyer has taught me to be wary of lawyers who are quick to pronounce their own virtue. Be even more wary when that same lawyer is also quick to denounce the virtue of other lawyers. Declaring that you are an ethical and honest lawyer doesn't make you one. Decrying another lawyer's lack of "professionalism" doesn't mean your conduct is reasonable. Publicly wrapping yourself in the mantel of the religious institution you attend is no guarantee to anyone that, in fact, you observe the tenets of that faith. Harkening back to your college's Honor Code doesn't mean you follow its precepts now - or if you ever did. Integrity is a lived virtue. It's how you act, and how you deal with others. It's your fundamental trustworthiness. It's doing the right thing even when doing so is not necessarily in your personal interests. Honor is set by example. Integrity is how you act when no one is looking. Practice what you preach. Better yet, don't preach at all. Just practice virtue. #lawpractice #lawyerlife #integrity #honor

One of the best pieces of career advice I ever received? “Your reputation walks into the room before you do.” In M&A, corporate governance, or any high-stakes leadership role, this couldn’t be more true. Deals are done — or undone — based on trust. Boards lean in or pull back based on confidence. And younger professionals rise faster when they’re known for integrity, responsiveness, and sound judgment. Early in my career, I focused relentlessly on delivering for clients. But over time, I learned that how you show up — consistently, respectfully, and with quiet authority — builds a reputation that carries more weight than any résumé ever could. So here’s my advice for anyone navigating the professional world: Do the work — but do it with care and clarity Show up early, follow through always Listen more than you speak And never forget: people remember how you made them feel under pressure Reputations are earned quietly. But they speak loudly. #Leadership #CareerAdvice #ReputationMatters #ProfessionalGrowth #MergersAndAcquisitions #Governance #TrustAndIntegrity

Here's a 100% true story about the importance of integrity. Back in my agency days, I hired an Analytics Manager who, for the purpose of the story, we'll call "Zach". Zach had an impressive resume and all the technical skills we were looking for in a candidate – experience leading teams, building BI tools, yada yada. But within a few weeks, I started noticing some red flags... He would miss deadlines or let things drop without any heads up. He would show up late to client calls, and invent weird, elaborate excuses. But then he did something much worse. One day I'm on a call with a particularly tough client, and the numbers just aren't adding up. As I'm getting grilled, I start digging into the source data, the calculations, the model, and everything looks normal. Then I spot it. The night before, Zach had hard-coded a SINGLE value inside of a calculated column, which skewed everything downstream 🤦♂️ When I asked him about it, he told me he had to "reconcile the data". In other words, he was too lazy to fix things the right way, and too cocky to ask for help. As a result, we had to have an extremely awkward conversation to explain what happened to the client, and lost a lot of hard-earned trust in the process. The moral of the story? Do the right thing, even when no one is looking. It takes a long time to build trust, and only a second to lose it. Don't be like Zach. #cautionarytale #saynotohardcodedvalues #dontbeazach