Are you watching the US Presidential race? If so, you are well aware that the candidates are plagued with issues of integrity, though not to the same proportion.
What does it mean to lead with integrity?
It comes down to holding values that represent the social norms of your society and living in alignment with those values, by demonstrating them in your interactions and your speech. It also means not making promises you don’t intend to keep. Taking responsibility for your mistakes and expressing genuine remorse when you err by demonstratively correcting your wrongs (if possible).
Are leaders not Perfect?
Leaders are not perfect; they are like the rest of us. They have belly buttons, which means they are prone to forget, put their foot in their mouths, be occasionally irrational and make human mistakes. Let’s face it; we want leaders who do better than the average “Joe.” We want to look up to our leaders and hold them in high esteem. Thus, we are less forgiving and sometimes don’t afford them the opportunity to correct their mistakes.
Leadership Impact
Leadership positions in our culture come with a lot of influence, wrong or right we see leaders as role models, and we sometimes put them on undeserved pedestals. This is why we should be careful whom we put in leadership positions because of the extent of their reach. If “Joe” drinks and drive we shake our heads at him but if our mayor, pastor or someone assuming a position of power drinks and drives we get outraged. We tend to feel that they have abused our trust in them, we start talking about the example they are setting for young people. I think we want leaders to honor the trust we put in them by striving to live as clean as possible with few mistakes as possible.
Leadership Support
With all this talk about what we expect from leaders, it makes sense to consider the support available to leaders. The truth is that leaders need a safe place to be themselves, to be human without consequences. They need a safe place to let loose without judgment or fear of recrimination. If we don’t provide them with a safe outlet, they will do something strange.
Leadership Coaching for Development and Support
Leadership coaching offers leaders a safe place to vent, express themselves and be human without judgment. It also affords them with development and growth support to work on areas where they need to grow, break bad habits or to explore possible changes. Coaching will provide the needed stress relief to deal with the tension of their roles and responsibilities so that they can recover and unwind. Coaching helps leaders be resilient, improve their wellness and live with integrity. Working with a coach a leader can address and deal with conflicts that arise in their roles, personally and interpersonally. If you have a leader or know a leader who needs any of the above, it may be time to check out leadership coaching, it works!
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Joyce Odidison is a Leadership Coach, Conflict Analyst, and President of IWS. You can reach her here: https://interpersonalwellness.com/consultation-requests/