Showing Up With Integrity Matters

We all know that integrity is crucial in business. How we regularly act, treat others, respect ourselves, and show up in general sets the foundation of who we are and signals to others whether or not we can be counted on and trusted.

Two questions that are important to ask ourselves are:

Is your sense of integrity accurately reflected in how you show up?

And do you produce what you say you’re going to produce?

Why does this matter? Showing up consistently with integrity is one of the easiest ways to boost your brand. Have integrity, and do what you say you will. Be professional. Be early. Take care of people. When you do that consistently, people get to know you as that person they can count on to show up, to deliver what you say you will — which is, after all, why they’ve hired you.

To help you consider your integrity with regard to your business, here are some questions to consider:

When you think about how you conduct your business and how you represent your brand, do you feel confident and empowered? Or do you lack confidence (or maybe even integrity) and hope others can’t tell?

If you’re detecting that you have some room to improve in this area, here are a few examples of ways you might boost your confidence and sense of integrity:

Consider your outer appearance. Is how you dress sending the right signals about who you are, who you serve, and how you feel about yourself?

Do a quick brand audit. Is your branding consistent between what clients see and what the community sees?

Do you consistently show up on time (or early) for all of your meetings?

Can people count on you as someone to deliver solid professional advice?

Are you up to speed on how to address changes in the marketplace?

Mindset and confidence level can suffer when a gap exists between what you want to show to others and what you’re actually doing in reality. This might come from doing things that aren’t in line with our sense of integrity, like showing up late or unprepared to a meeting.

Showing up late one time doesn’t mean you’ve lost your integrity, though consistently missing appointments or deadlines sends a message about who you are, your values, and your priorities to others. If you’re consistently late or unprepared, you might be sending a message to others that you don’t value their time (even if you do!). And not only does it send a message to others, but we eventually internalize that message, which can affect our mindset and confidence level.

Simply having too much on your plate can also detract from your ability to deliver, like unforeseen events in your personal life that take your attention, time, and energy away from your business.

But life happens! As human beings, sometimes we fall down in this regard. It’s not the end of the world. But if a ball does get dropped and you pick it back up quickly, there’s likely little or no harm done.

How can you get back on track quickly? Re-prioritize and set up a game plan to move forward in a positive direction. This can be relatively simple to turnaround if you’re aware of what is going on and are willing to be honest with others when mistakes are made. To help you recalibrate, try to focus on what’s going right. What are you doing well? What is the next right action to take?

Showing up with integrity is something I have worked on for my own business, both by consistently showing up to network and speak in front of my ideal clients, but also how I serve my existing clients. I’ve made it a priority to consistently be on time for meetings, be present and prepared, and to provide quality meeting experiences. Most importantly, I’ve worked hard to show that I consistently deliver results.

This is one of the keys to success in developing relationships with your clients, prospects, and center of influence that leads to respect and an image of you as a person of integrity. Mirror those attributes consistently and over time, people understand that’s who you are. This is a great foundation to set yourself up to win.

Building trust and integrity is not complicated. We do it by showing up. By delivering what we say we will. By acting with integrity. And when people know they can count on you, they like and trust you more.This means better client relationships, more referrals, and a stronger and more prosperous business.