“When you choose the lesser of two evils, always remember that it is still an evil.”
— Max Lerner, Actions and Passions, 1949
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Two years prior, a church leader informed the congregation that he would no longer serve as their primary official. Unbeknownst to many, he genuinely wished to continue. Thus, in a clandestine meeting, he summoned those individuals who would cast their votes for him in an upcoming election. They devised a cunning scheme.
When the time for the election arrived, someone put forth his nomination. To ensure his victory, his supporters resorted to dishonesty by discarding votes intended for the other inexperienced candidates and replacing them with votes for the seasoned leader.
Ultimately, he emerged victorious once more, yet the church members were aware of his true loss. “The people have spoken,” he proclaimed after being declared the winner again. “The voice of the people is the voice of God!”
Leaders, particularly those within the church, ought to embody integrity. However, this quality is becoming increasingly rare in contemporary society. This is particularly evident among politicians, who have lost the trust of the public and whose statements are often met with skepticism.
Two elderly women were strolling through a somewhat congested cemetery when they stumbled upon a gravestone. The inscription read, “Here lies a person, a politician, and a man of integrity.”
One lady lamented, “Good heavens! Isn’t it dreadful that they had to inter two individuals in the same grave?”
Her reaction was quite understandable. Can you identify a politician with integrity in today’s world? The dictionary describes integrity as “the condition of being whole, unified.”
When an individual possesses integrity, their words and actions are aligned. They remain true to themselves, regardless of their location or the company they keep. As Don Galer articulates, “Integrity encompasses our actions, our words, and our commitments to those words.”
If a father advises his son against smoking and refrains from smoking himself, then it is likely that his son will also avoid smoking. If a manager states, “Prioritize the customer,” and he prioritizes the customer, then his team will also prioritize the customer.
Conversely, if the father instructs his son not to consume alcoholic drinks but he himself drinks wine and beer, then the son will undoubtedly emulate his father’s actions rather than adhere to his father’s advice.
If the leader proclaims, “Maintain a positive outlook” yet displays a negative demeanor, then some individuals will adopt a positive attitude while others may not.
“Integrity is not a conditional word,” John D. MacDonald says. “It doesn’t blow in the wind or change with the weather. It is your inner image of yourself, and if you look in there and see a man who won’t cheat, then you know he never will.”
Leaders should have integrity if they want to be credible. If he is credible, he can say what he wants to say and people would believe him. “Keep true, never be ashamed of doing right; decide on what you think is right and stick to it,” British novelist George Eliot once said.
If a leader has integrity, then he will still be remembered even after life. Take the case of Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay. He was consistent in helping the poor Filipinos. It was too bad that he died in a plane crash while performing his duties.
“A life lived with integrity — even if it lacks the trappings of fame and fortune – is a shining star in whose light others may follow in the years to come,” Denis Waitley commended.
“Integrity is the first step to true greatness,” said Charles Simmons. “People love to praise but are slow to practice it. To maintain it in high places costs self-denial; in all places it is liable to opposition, but its end is glorious, and the universe will yet do it homage.”
When one loses integrity, it is very hard to correct the damage done. Rachel Naomi Remen tells us that. She said, “Perhaps losing integrity with yourself is the greatest stress of all, far more hurtful to us than competition, time pressure, or lack of respect. Our vitality is rooted in our integrity. When we do not live in one piece, our life force becomes divided. Becoming separated from our authentic values may weaken us.”
So, urged Barbara Paley, “In all things preserve integrity; and the consciousness of your own uprightness will alleviate the toil of business, soften the hardness of ill-success and disappointments, and give you a humble confidence before God, when the ingratitude of
people, or the iniquity of the times may rob you of other rewards.”
A leader who doesn’t have the trust of the people (and believed only by a chosen few, mostly his followers) should heed what his conscience tells him. If hears the voice of the masses, only then can he regain his integrity. Filipinos call this thing as delicadeza.
The English term for that is delicacy or “shrinking from what is offensive and not modest.” But I want to use decency for it is more proper when it comes to being a good leader. Dorothee DeLuzy said, “Delicacy is the parent of decency.” Honore de Balzac shared this statement: “Too great a display of delicacy can and does sometimes infringe upon decency.”
Francois de la Rochefoucauld reminds, “Decency is the least of all laws, but yet it is the law which is most strictly observed.”
Why is this so? Guo Moruo has this reply: “Nothing is more heart-breaking than the demise of decency.”
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