Character is an indispensable component of sustainable leadership performance. Ivey research has identified 11 dimensions of leader character: accountability, collaboration, courage, drive, humanity, humility, integrity, judgment, justice, temperance, and transcendence. In this blog, I explore the leader character dimension of integrity. When we refer to a building’s structural integrity, we are talking about the ability of that building to hold itself together under a load—including the load of its own weight—without collapsing. Personal integrity shares a fundamental quality with structural integrity: It can’t come and go. It has to be there whether people are looking or not or you risk a calamity. So, what do we mean by personal integrity? People with integrity hold themselves to a high moral standard and behave consistently with ethical standards, even in difficult situations. They walk the talk. Integrity is about bringing the organization’s values to life through your own behaviour. It’s about refraining from asking others to do things that are morally objectionable—and calling others out when they stray. Integrity is about being honest and transparent in your actions.
Let’s look at an example of integrity in action.
In June 2013, public allegations surfaced regarding a series of unacceptable behaviours by active members of the Australian Army. Allegedly, a group of officers had produced and distributed material that demeaned women, using both Department of Defence computer systems and the internet. The members of this group secretly photographed themselves having sex with women, and then emailed those photos to a variety of recipients.
In addition to the content of the revelations, their timing was horrendous. Only three months earlier, the Australian Army had launched a new campaign to recruit more women soldiers. A great deal of work had gone into making the army more female and family friendly. Now, all that work was in jeopardy.
A key player in that effort of institutional transformation had been Chief of Army and Lieutenant General David Morrison, a second-generation Australian Army officer whose father had distinguished himself both in Korea and Vietnam. Morrison had joined the army in 1979, rising steadily through the ranks over the ensuing three decades. Personable, businesslike, and forthright, “straight-shooter” was the phrase most often used to describe him. “He’s got integrity a mile deep,” as one of his former commanders put it, and he “calls it like it is.”
What did Morrison do when he was confronted with allegations of sordid and criminal behaviour in the ranks below him—allegations that, if true, would strike at the heart of the army he was trying to build? First, he held a press conference. “It’s on me,” he told the assembled reporters—and by extension, the nation. “I’m responsible for this. I’m the chief of the Australian Army. The culture of the army is in my hands during my tenure, and I am doing as much as I possibly can to improve it.”
Then he went on TV. Staring directly at the camera, he delivered a three-minute, straight-from-the-heart statement. First he spoke to his fellow Australians, assuring them that the alleged misdeeds were in direct contravention to every value that his army stood for. Then he spoke directly to the perpetrators, and any sympathizers they might have. The video went viral.
Those who think that that it’s OK to behave in a way that demeans or exploits their colleagues have no place in this army . . . If that does not suit you, then get out. You may find another employer where your attitude and behaviour is acceptable, but I doubt it. The same goes for those who think that toughness is built on humiliating others. Every one of us is responsible for the culture and reputation of our army, and the environment in which we work. If you become aware of any individual degrading another, then show moral courage and take a stand against it . . .
I will be ruthless in ridding the army of people who cannot live up to its values. And I need every one of you to support me in achieving this. The standard you walk past is the standard you accept. That goes for all of us, but especially those who by their rank have a leadership role . . . If you’re not up to it, find something else to do with your life. There is no place for you amongst this band of brothers and sisters.
I want to underscore a core message, well stated by Morrison: “The standard you walk past is the standard you accept.” Integrity is about not walking past an unacceptable standard. Integrity is about being authentic, candid, transparent, principled, and consistent. It is about owning the problem. It is about setting and communicating the right standard. This is what we expect from HBAs at Ivey and their future careers. An excellent example is Pat Horgan, MBA ‘82. Pat explains how his integrity has helped him through his long and distinguished career at IBM.
You can read more about integrity in the book Developing Leadership Character written by Ivey Business School professors Mary Crossan, Gerard Seijts and Jeffrey Gandz (New York, NY: Routledge, 2016).