“A little integrity is better than any career”-Ralph Waldo Emerson
Integrity is a quality that can’t be bought or obtained overnight; it requires time and a conscious effort to make the right decisions. If our desire for success, money or fame in our industry becomes more important than our integrity then we’ve lost. Sure, business may be good and clients may still book you, but if integrity was compromised along the way then our success has no value. Stats show we’re all going to make a switch in our job or career at some point in our lives, so how you leave your mark in life goes beyond what you are doing today. Press, notoriety, money… all of those things eventually fade away, and if your hard work to obtain them cost you your integrity then I dare say they weren’t worth it. The way you treat people – clients, coworkers, family, friends – is far more important than a successful business. Integrity will build your business and brand, but a lack of integrity can destroy it.
We reap what we sow!! It’s always good for us to take a step back and look at the big picture; if you’ve compromised your character for your business what will you have? Fond memories of what once was? Maya Angelou said, “People will forget what you said..People will forget what you did..But people will never forget how you made them feel.” If our climb to success leaves a wake of hurt and angry people then that’s the legacy we’ve left. People aren’t going to remember the pictures you took, the films you created, the flowers you arranged or the number of twitter followers you have… they’re going to remember the impact of your character – good or bad.
Integrity will always be better than a career, it’s what we should ultimately be working to keep.
Photo found on Simple Complexity
I love this post. Thank you for sharing such astute thoughts!
Brilliant post and so very true!
Thanks for the reminder, Leila. What has amazed me over the years is the ever increasing ways some people have compromised their integrity in both word and deed. Sometimes it just boils down to keeping our agreements (not just with others, but ourselves) and building from there. First, of course, we must value it 🙂
Always love the words of wisdom and such a great Maya Angelou quote!
I completely agree! It’s so easy to get caught up in success and forget integrity.
This is such a good reality check… the world doesn’t revolve around any of us and we should always keep in mind what’s most important! Not just in business, but also in personal relationships. Thanks for sharing!
amen sister!