Leading with integrity is about doing the right thing at all times, regardless of whether there’s an audience. So many leaders choose the popular option in order to exhibit authority, even when their decisions are not rooted in strong moral principles. This goes against the essence of integrity, which is to stand firm no matter the repercussions. The latter is incredibly hard to do, especially if you’re in a position of power, but it’s a prime opportunity to influence young minds to become better leaders. 

Act on your words

It’s very easy for charismatic leaders to promise a lot to encourage their teams and contribute to their approval rating. However, Leaderonomics highlights that leaders who fail to live up to their promises eventually lose the trust of their employees and followers. Having ambition is vital to leadership but it is more important to maintain realism in order to deliver on one’s promises. Otherwise, it teaches your mentees that it’s okay to have grand ideas without following through on them.

Practice fairness

Another facet of integrity is fair decision-making. Treating people equally and not picking favorites is important to build trust. It’s also one way to gain their respect – which every mentor needs to be effective and inspirational.

Playing favorites can breed a toxic culture in the workplace, as The Balance Careers highlights that “one-upmanship” becomes the goal of employees. Instead of working as a team, individuals work to outdo the others, in hopes of becoming the new star.

Acknowledge the achievement of others

Many leaders in history have taken credit for the hard work of others in order to improve their reputation. For instance, legislators take credit for enacting laws when they’re not the ones who drafted the policies. That displays a lack of integrity.

Instead of passing off the achievement as your own, it’s important that you give credit where it is due. This is in line with the discussion on appreciation by Young Government Leaders, which talks about the importance of giving praise to team members who put in the hard work. Not only will this boost integrity, it will also improve morale in the workplace.

Communicate honestly

As an integral part of building trust, leaders need to exercise transparency. Entrepreneur contributor Andre Lavoie wrote that open communication improves four elements in the workplace, including relationships, alignment, solutions, and engagement. By being upfront with your employees, they’ll have a better understanding of their place in the organization and why they matter to its overall goal. This will help to motivate and encourage them to work harder and break new ground to reach collective goals. 

Promote collaboration

It goes without saying that teams will function more efficiently if they learn how to work in unison. Integrity is about being unified and it starts with leaders who champion collaboration. Group dynamics is identified by Maryville University as a very important part of organizational leadership, as collaboration influences the overall behavior of agencies and organizations. Leaders should understand the needs of every individual in order to build groups that complement each other. Ultimately, they are the ones who will deliver success. 

The bottom line is that you can’t tell your mentees what is wrong and what is right. However, you can lead by example and lead with integrity. Embodying sound moral and ethical principles is a more powerful leadership trait that others will take note of and emulate. 

Article written by: Ally Keith

Especially for younggov.org