Page 101 - Roy W. Rice - CEO Material How to Be a Leader in Any Organization-McGraw-Hill (2009)

82 • CEO Material: How to Be a Leader in Any Organization

at 11 strokes and they finish at 4; pick up your ball. If you don’t know
the basic rules of golf courtesy and your own ability (e.g., handicap),
but you act and talk like you do, you won’t be trusted. . . . If you
record an inaccurate score for yourself, it will be remembered for the
rest of your life. People figure that if he cheats at golf, he probably
cheats on his wife and cheats in business.... If you act without
integrity—in the office or on the golf course—you will be ill thought
of, never asked again to participate, and talked about behind
your back.

Junior Achievement and Deloitte & Touche reported on research
showing that over 40 percent of U.S. high school students feel that it is
okay, even necessary, to lie, cheat, or steal to get ahead. Since children
learn what they live, what does this say about their parents—your peers?
Frankly, the world is not rife with high integrity, even in places
where you’d expect it: business, politics, government, law enforcement,
science, sports, research, religion, or charities. Regrettably, you can’t
name one area where there hasn’t been scandal in recent years—or
months. No wonder that students believe what they do. Sadly, me writing
“have integrity” can come off as kind of quaint.
“I trust him” is what you want said about you. Anything less clear
won’t get you many followers or make you as much of a leader. The
requirements to make this happen are (1) you deciding to never give a
hint of impropriety in anything you do and (2) then sticking to your deci-
sion whether no one knows or not.

I’ll commit as I say I’ll do, and if I don’t, I’ll tell you the reason why.
ƒ

Is a CEO who wants to beat the crap out of the competition, increase
a percent of the market share, or withhold information that benefits
a competitor one of integrity? You could say yes and no. Truth is
complex.

ƒ

The amount of crap that goes on in the world is immense. It’s a fairly
corrupt world. Business and life are messy. Integrity is relative.