The Case for Integrity
An honest man’s word is as good as his bond.
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In the 1991 remake of the classic Peter Pan tale, Robin Williams plays the role of a grown-up version of Peter Pan, now Peter Banning. He had fallen in love with Wendy’s granddaughter, Moria, and given up eternal youth to get married and raise a family. Now a 40-year-old mergers and acquisition lawyer, he’s a workaholic with no time for his wife or two children, Jack and Maggie.
Peter has forgotten who he was, and has taken on many of the attributes of his nemesis, Captain Hook, but is oblivious to the fact he’s lost his identity and is in danger of losing his family forever.
A memorable quote from the movie is when Peter makes another worthless promise to his son, Jack, stating, “Jack, my word is my bond.” To which Jack replies, “Yeah, junk bond.”
I want to zero in on this phrase, “My word is my bond,” for a few moments as it speaks to a crucial character value essential to a Black Belt Leader…but is no longer valued in society today.
This non-negotiable is INTEGRITY!
The Oxford Languages Dictionary defines integrity as (1) the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles, moral uprightness, or (2) the state of being whole and undivided.
It’s doing the right thing, even when no one is looking.
This phrase has its origins in old English literature. Shakespeare referred to this in his work, “The Merchant of Venice” taking central stage in Act III, Scene III where the character Shylock, a moneylender, agrees to lend Antonio three thousand ducats with a verbal agreement (a bond) that if the money is not repaid within three months, Shylock is entitled to cut off a pound of Antonio’s flesh.
In 1678, the phrase, “An honest man’s word is as good as his bond,” appears in John Ray’s collection of English wise sayings and short stories entitled, “English Proverbs.” Over the centuries, the phrase “My word is my bond” has become synonymous with integrity.
It’s a promise, a declaration, an assurance, that you will do a particular thing or that you will do, give, arrange, or undertake something.
Essentially, you follow through with what you have committed to do.
Your word is your bond.
Integrity is a moral quality that demands you to be personally responsible for your actions. Sadly, in today’s culture, we are witnessing a decline in morality as societal norms are abandoned. When no one standard of absolutes governs how we live together in harmony, society begins to devolve into warring tribal factions.
When this happens, qualities like integrity are no longer seen as non-negotiable. People can (and do) violate their verbal and written commitments to one another, and society suffers as a result. At a personal level, broken promises erode trust between individuals. Trust is foundational to any healthy relationship and when trust is broken, people feel hurt, disappointed, or betrayed.
Integrity starts with you.
How are you characterized by those who know you? Are you a person who does what they say or are you undependable? Are you accountable? Can others depend on you? Do you take ownership when you are wrong? Are you known as an honest, reliable person? Are you known as someone who does the right thing, all the time, even when no one is looking? Are your saying and doing congruent? Are you someone people can trust without question? Does your word instill confidence?
Don’t forget that children learn integrity from observing their parents. When one spouse tells the other that they will do something, and they don’t, trust is broken in the household. When parents make a promise to their children and they don’t follow through, trust is broken. If this pattern continues, it becomes acceptable as the norm and other family members embrace the lie that words don’t matter.
When people can’t rely on you to keep your word and follow through on your commitments, what does that say about you? You are a role model for others whether you realize it or not, because people do what people see. Are you modeling integrity that builds trust and credibility and inspires others to live authentic, honest, and accountable lives?
A lack of integrity in the workplace is demonstrated when people show up late for work, call in sick when they are not, take extended lunch hours, or do as little as possible to get by. It is also manifested when employees lie, cheat, or steal from their employer. When sales professionals misrepresent their product or service to the public, this too comes from a lack of integrity.
The cost of a lack of integrity is staggering. A 2021 Vault study found that workplace misconduct resulted in a loss of $8.54 billion for the U.S. economy.
When we as a society lack integrity, we all suffer as a result. When people can’t honor their word to others, how can you have a collaborative, cooperative society working together to solve the common problems they face? When we can’t rely on each other to work together, to follow through on our commitments, how does anything get done?
When we are constantly bickering and arguing rather than coming together to solve the problems we all face as a society, how does that benefit anyone? When we are constantly pointing the finger at everyone else, rather than looking within to see where we could be doing better, how does that move us toward a positive resolution that serves the greater good?
People of integrity focus on what unites us rather than what divides us.
So, what does living a life of integrity look like?
Here are ten questions you can use to gauge whether or not you are a person of integrity or not. While this isn’t an exhaustive list of questions, it is a good start to evaluating where you are when it comes to living a life of integrity or not.
It’s a man or woman in the mirror moment with yourself.
1. Do you keep your word?
2. Are you an honest person?
3. Are you a reliable person?
4. Are you genuine and honest in your dealings with others?
5. Do you own your mistakes and admit when you are wrong?
6. Are you transparent and authentic with others?
7. Do you follow the rules?
8. Do you value other people’s time?
9. Do you acknowledge other people’s contributions?
10. Do you do the right thing, even when no one is looking?
Now that you have done a self-assessment, let me challenge you to take this one step further. Give a copy of these questions to at least five people who know you well, and ask them to answer these questions based on how they perceive you. As a convenience, you can access a copy of this assessment by clicking here.
Let me leave you with this.
Your word is your bond. It is the collateral you leave with others when you make a promise or commit to do something. The value of your collateral is measured by whether or not you keep your word, fulfill your promise, and do what you’ve committed to do.
A person of integrity does the right thing, even when no one is looking.
If your word is worthless, then so are you.