Branding is all about marketing yourself as a product. But we, and hopefully you see this business as more than just that; we want to build relationships with colleagues and clients instead of thinking about them in purely transactional terms. Hence, integrity is essential for creating these kinds of relationships and supports personal branding in developing a unique brand identity.
What does integrity mean to you?
Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. It’s about doing what you say you’ll do, even when no one is watching.
It’s important because it makes you more trustworthy, which can lead to better relationships with others and more opportunities at work.
You can act with integrity by doing the right thing even when it’s hard; saying no when someone asks you to compromise your values; being accountable for your actions; apologizing when something goes wrong; treating people fairly regardless of who they are or where they come from (or don’t come from), etc.
How do you act with integrity?
- Do the right thing. Integrity is about doing what’s right, even if it’s not easy or convenient for you.
- Be honest and trustworthy in all that you do, including communication with others and your own self-talk (the voice inside your head).
- Be fair in how you treat others and yourself–don’t take advantage of anyone else’s ignorance or lack of knowledge about something just because it benefits you in some way, shape, or form; don’t expect special treatment just because someone knows who you are; don’t use other people as a means to an end…etc., etc., etc. If a situation doesn’t feel right, then chances are good; there may be another way out, so take time before making any decisions that could have long-term consequences on your brand image!
- Be consistent in everything from beliefs & values through actions taken throughout daily life – this includes social media posts since these days everyone sees everything online, which makes them question whether or not they can trust you.
- Be transparent when dealing with others so people know exactly where they stand at all times (no surprises!).
Why is integrity so important to your personal brand?
Integrity is the foundation of your personal brand. It’s also the foundation of any relationship, whether it’s between you and your boss or between you and your spouse.
You need integrity in order to be trusted by others. If people don’t trust you, they won’t want to work with you–and they might not even want to be around you! Your reputation will suffer, so it’s important that everyone knows what kind of person they’re dealing with when they interact with an individual who has integrity.
An example of when one acted with integrity
In this example, the individual is a manager at a company that sells products and services to customers. He notices that one of his employees has been using a company credit card for personal purchases and not reporting them on his expense report. This behavior is unethical because it violates company policy, but he also believes it may be illegal. The manager decides not to report this information up his chain of command because he feels that doing so would put him in an awkward position with his boss, who was responsible for hiring this employee in the first place. He does not want any negative consequences for himself if word gets back about how much money was spent inappropriately by one of his employees (and possibly others).
The manager’s decision not to act with integrity has significant consequences: It hurts both himself personally as well as everyone else involved with the company.
Integrity should be the foundation for all of your actions and decisions
Integrity is the foundation for all of your actions and decisions. As a personal brand, you should always strive to uphold integrity as a core value.
Integrity is what people will remember about you long after they’ve forgotten everything else about your business or career. It’s what makes them trust and respect you, which leads to more opportunities in life–and in business!
It’s important to remember that we are all human, and we make mistakes, but it is also crucial that we learn from our mistakes and continue working toward being better people each day. You can start by asking yourself these questions: What does integrity mean to me? How do I act with integrity? Why is it so important for my personal brand?
