Honesty and Integrity 7
Samuel didn’t passively respond or react to an investigation of his
possessions. He initiated it himself! Heinvitedinvestigation of his hon-
esty and integrity, down to the last ox and donkey, promising to return
anything that might have been immorally appropriated, no matter how
insignificant. And he promised to rectify the least evidence of impropri-
ety or dishonest gain.
This type of integrity runs throughout the Old and New Testaments.
Consider the farewell speech of the disciple Paul to his followers:
I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves
know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs
of my companions... They all wept as they embraced him and kissed
him. What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see
his face again. (Acts 20:32–37)Is it any wonder that such a profession and display of integrity and
honesty provoked such heartfelt loyalty from Paul’s followers, or that
their grief was so great over the thought of losing him? If you left your
organization today, would your followers grieve so openly about losing
you, and if they did, would any of their grief relate to losing a leader of
integrity?
But is integrity really attainable at the highest levels in modern busi-
ness? Can’t it be an impediment to material success? Charles Wang,
chairman of Computer Associates, sees no such conflict. Wang is head
of a $4.7 billion company, but he argues that effectiveness often boils
down to truth telling, not dollars.
To be a successful person... you have to have integrity. Your word
has to be everything you’ve got. You must have a moral compass. That’s
especially true if you’re a leader because you’re exposed more. People will
get a sense of you, and if you are not true... they’ll get a sense that you
are sleazy...Webuyacompany, there’s a contract that’s just terrible,
but you inherit all the contracts. You can argue the guy had no authority
to sign it, but you... honor the contract.’’^5