I appreciate the response my blogs have received – particularly on LinkedIn. The comments from my last post about integrity inspired me to write more on this topic – and to connect to another previous topic: Defining moments.

When organizations adapt and change quickly, sometimes the path of least resistance leads you to troubling places. Taking shortcuts – especially ones that jeopardize your integrity – has no place in any organization’s culture.

What happens when you see these shortcuts? What happens when you discover a co-worker is acting unethically? Or, even worse, what if your company’s actions aren’t meeting its own standards for ethical behaviors?

These are defining moments for individuals and for organizations.

True leaders – at all levels of an organization – demonstrate integrity when they have a voice. Have you heard the term sin of omission? In essence, it’s saying or doing nothing when you see something you know is wrong. In my view, the sin of omission is just as grave as the sin of committing an unethical act.

Using your voice for good shows true integrity.

Speak up when you know something is wrong, a poor reflection on your company or not in your customers’ best interests. You may be surprised at how quickly change can happen, and how wide-ranging change can be when gaps in integrity are uncovered.

Speaking up requires courage (there’s that one-word leadership definition again!) – a bunch of it.

Here’s what’s powerful: Once you feel empowered to use your voice, overcoming other obstacles seems less daunting. In fact, I think integrity is fundamental to winning – not just as a foundation for your organization, but because real integrity will motivate your organization to truly do its best.

And in a world of constant change and disruption, it’s nice to have something to help guide the way to the finish line – even if the tape is miles away.

I’ve outlined these ideas to help define and demonstrate integrity. What would you add?