Page 76 - Never Fly Solo

OVER-G | 49
It isn’t that hard to get away with tax evasion, manipulat-
ing stock prices, cooking the books, cheating on your spouse,
or a whole litany of other dishonorable practices—at least for
a while. No one may know right away, but sooner or later the
truth will come out. All decisions lacking integrity come down
to some combination of arrogance, selfishness, and fear. Peo-
ple are generally afraid of consequences and lack the courage
to do the right thing. Their image is more important than
their integrity, and in the end, they have neither. It is much
harder—and more perilous—to keep up a false image than to
reveal a damaged but honest one.
Remember, integrity isn’t just about being honest—it’s
also about being able to admit when you haven’t been. It’s
about admitting when you mess up and accepting the conse-
quences. So, what will you do the next time you’re faced with
a tough choice about integrity?
In business, you may be off course, miss a crucial dead-
line, get the pricing wrong on an order, or badly miss a budget
projection. It can take a day or two to get back on course—
certainly not a desirable option. But consider the alternative:
if you delay longer than you should, it may take you a month
or two months, even years, to get back on course. It may cost
you your job or the company the account. As hard as it may
seem, a good wingman will value a speedy confession and will
even help you get back on track.
So if you want your wingmen to live with integrity, have
the courage to admit your mistakes and “over-Gs.” When you
do what you say you’re going to do, and expect nothing less
of others, performance improves. This is the foundation for
creating a culture of courage. Integrity is contagious, and it
has to start from the top down. Moreover, when you shift the
focus off yourself and onto how your actions affect your mis-