24 Sep LEADERSHIP IS INTEGRITY
LEADERSHIP IS INTEGRITY
We all wish to be whole, sorted, high- principled, and able to bring our work-life balance. As leaders, we tend to overdo in circumstances that lead to frustration. Integrity is a key element in leadership.
What is Integrity?
Integrity is a state of being whole with a strong moral principle. This value is the most sought virtue in a person. The concept focuses on being honest, truly ethical, and committed. This will make you different from the crowd. Your life will be truly influential and trustworthy.
I always look up to Chanakya as an inspiration. He is the wisest man to meet in history. I would like to share an incidence which taught me a great value of Leadership.
Chanakya and the Chinese traveler
Chanakya was a minister in the court of Chandragupta Maurya. He was very popular across the length and breadth of the country for his wisdom. He was a chief advisor to the kings in his affairs.
Once a Chinese traveler heard about Chanakya and planned to visit him. When he inquired about his residence, the people told him that he lived in the hut. When he approached it, he realized that the entrance was extremely low to enter. He wondered and asked why it was made too low. They told him “Chanakya believed in a philosophy. Anyone one seeks advice must be humble. Therefore even the king must bow when he enters the Chanakya’s hut”.
It was almost twilight and the place was getting dim. As he entered the hut, he saw him working on some major documents under a lamp. Chanakya smiled at the visitor and finished off his work.
As he finished, he put off the lamp and lit another one. Mistaking it as the welcoming ritual, the confused Chinese traveler asked the significance of the ritual. Chanakya smiled at him once again and said “No my friend, this wasn’t any kind of welcoming practice. While you came in, I was working on Government papers, King’s work. The oil of that lamp comes from the Kingdom’s National treasury. Currently, I am engaged with you in a talk, it has nothing to do with the government so, I lighted my lamp and extinguished the previous one”.
This might be very intriguing for some of us. All this way along what we did was mess up our life. Somewhere we too need to switch between the lamps. Chanakya is an exclusive example of integrity. He strived to maintain transparency in the way he handled things. Chanakya completely believed in maintaining total synergy between thoughts, words, and actions. This is the basis of proper integrity and Character.
Secondly, Humility is the most important virtue of Leadership. A proud person will never learn. Learning is only possible when we have humility. Great leaders are humble so they are constant learners.
Learning shapes, the character. Character and Integrity are the foundation for trust. Trust is the currency of Leadership.
Let us be inspired by the wisdom of Chanakya and transform our lives by choosing to be Humble and leaders with integrity.
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