Integrity is a powerful, but intangible energy and lifeforce.  It is more than just a term that creates awe, admiration and genuflection.  It is the essence of selfless and value-based decisions connected by an inelastic pattern of repeated behavior.   Integrity is a perpetual flame constantly and confidently visible by its bearer.  Over decades, their actions have cloaked them with the protection of this transparent, but radiant garment.

Integrity is not something you slip into or discard depending on a mood, audience or situation. It is a new chromosome that very few will ever internalize, it is not embedded in our dna nor can it  be bequeathed.   Holding this mantel requires strength, confidence and self-awareness because it must be kept and carried, safely, always and forever.  You must firmly grasp it, because its origins are usually from a once in a lifetime comet, the result or reaction to a random, but significant, public or personal event. 

It is a rare and precious gem, once lost or compromised impossible to be reacquired or ever recorded at its intrinsic value again.  More often it is seen, but occasionally its intent is instinctively verbalized without proclamation.  Its possessor rarely if ever need speak of or defend it by name.  Our actions always speak louder than our words.

It does not happen by accident or make a sudden or fleeting appearance.  It is a revered, conscious, instinctive choice. It is something repeatedly observed by others and solemnly protected by its keeper. For the record, there is no such thing as situational integrity, much the same way that there is no such thing as being “half” pregnant.  As a concept and in practice, it simply exist or does not exist, at all.  These are the reasons, It’s Called “Integrity”.

About the Author Michael K. Francis

Michael is a C-Suite Business and Human Resources Executive with more than 30 years of professional experience in the public sector with four Fortune 500 companies, and as a Management Consultant. In 2020, he founded BEAM Executive Advisors, LLC to provide consultative services to clients based on collaborative relationships, trust, and integrity.

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