Integrity Matters Whether You’re a Prime Minister or Not!

You’d have to be living under a rock if you haven’t heard about the accusations of lying by our current Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The accusations being levied against him range from outright lying through to white lies or not being completely truthful. The purpose of this article isn’t to throw dirt, it’s to reiterate the importance of the truth.

A good friend and former business colleage aften poses this question at interview: “Do you always have to tell the truth in business?”. The answers that he received were telling on many levels. The answer of course is that you do have to tell the truth or you’re a liar.

Your Boss and Your Colleagues Are Watching

Whether you like it or not, your colleagues at work as well as people higher up in the organisation are watching you. People form judgements based on their personal experience. If your word can’t be trusted then what is left? Do you think that someone will believe your sales forecast if you have a history of lying?

Integrity – A Diminishing Quality?

I happen to believe that the truth is told by most of the people, most of the time. So why do people lie? People lie for many reasons. In the workplace, it could be to cover up poor ferformance, to smear a colleague, to curry favour with a boss or many other reasons. Frankly, I’m not interested in justification or rationalisation, I’m interested in truth. You know where you are with people who always tell the truth and for better or worse, you can rely on what they say.

Is Lying Ever Acceptable on a CV?

Many of us have seen the lies and fabrication on candidate CVs in programmes like The Apprentice. Whilst these lies make for great television, they really don’t cut it in the business world. Lying is never acceptable. In the first instance, it’s wrong and secondly, you could quite reasobaly get sacked from a role you’d gained through lying on a CV.

Boris’ Ex Housemaster Martinn Hammond Said This about Boris.

Writing about Boris Johnson in a school report in April 1982, Mr Hammond said: “Boris really has adopted a disgracefully cavalier attitude to his classical studies . . . Boris sometimes seems affronted when criticised for what amounts to a gross failure of responsibility (and surprised at the same time that he was not appointed Captain of the School for next half): I think he honestly believes that it is churlish of us not to regard him as an exception, one who should be free of the network of obligation which binds everyone else.”

The Bible puts it another way. John 8:32 in the English Standard Version: … and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

The implication here being that is is not just telling but knowing the truth that will set you free.

Integrity Really Does Matter

Does integrity matter to everyone? Clearly not. If you come across someone like me for whom truth really does matter then you’d better be telling the truth or else I really can’t help you. Integrity, being dependable and telling the truth is important. There is no such thing as your truth. Truth matters, in business, in life, in Politics and everywhere else.

 

 

Author: Glenn Hughes

I’m a professional CV writer who also writes website content, LinkedIn profiles, helps people with bespoke job applications and more. I’ve been writing for the internet since 2009 and have many published articles.

Author

  • Glenn Hughes

    I'm a professional CV writer who also writes website content, LinkedIn profiles, helps people with bespoke job applications and more. I've been writing for the internet since 2009 and have many published articles.

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