This is potentially one of the most important themes to consider and study when wanting to be an impeccable leader. One such step of developing your integrity for eventual use is to read self-help books, as well attend motivational conferences; lastly is to eventually put your learning’s into practice. Discussed in this brief article will be two books in particular that can help you learn more about integrity. Stephen Covey’s ‘Seven Habits of Highly Effective People’ suggests that integrity is a critical point to consider when working towards an effective mutual agreement, a compromise. That people of integrity are true to their feelings, values, and commitments. A character rich in integrity has a genuineness that goes far beyond technique, or lack of it, in human interaction. [Covey, 1989, pg 217]

Integrity as suggested by Covey is defined as the value we place on ourselves. [Covey, 1989, pg 217] In Alan Axelrod’s ‘Elizabeth I: CEO’, Axelrod suggests a leadership tip leaders can learn from Elizabeth is “to earn the trust of those you lead”. [Axelrod, 2000, pg. 242-4] Elizabeth I made this inspirational speech, ““my mortal foe can wish me not greater loss than England’s hate. Neither should death be less welcome unto me than such a mishap betides me”.  [Axelrod, 2000, pg. 242-4] Elizabeth’s modern biographer Maria Perry observes that Elizabeth I “set a high value on telling the truth”. [Axelrod, 2000, pg 235]  Northouse suggests that “integrity is the quality of honesty and trustworthiness”. [Northouse, 2004, pg 20]

If you cannot create and honor commitments with your followers, then your commitments are rendered meaningless. Integrity is the quality of being trusting and honest. That without this trust the aforementioned such mutually beneficial negotiations become an ineffective technique. Followers need to be reassured that their will be a mutually beneficial outcome which will in fact be a positive experience for all parties. They need to trust you before making that commitment.

That’s why having integrity as a characteristic traits is so important because having integrity suggests we adhere to a strong set of principles, that rarely individuals who display integrity are deceitful. A large part of displaying integrity to others is by being truthful. That these leaders are people who adhere to a strong set of principles and take responsibility for their actions and thus exhibit integrity. Leaders with integrity inspire confidence in others because they can be trusted to do what they say they are going to do. Integrity makes a leader believable and worthy of our trust.