Leaders live what they believe.
Leaders walk the talk, but how? Leaders understand that success and satisfaction result from bringing their performance in line with their values. Goals help us integrate our personal and professional lives and align our actions with our values. While only 3 percent of people write goals, we commit to attacking a piece of who and what we want to become by writing specific, measurable, and prioritized goals.
Walking the talk is integrity writ large. While some define integrity as doing the right thing, I like the definition that says integrity is adhering to a code of values. Your code of values is your unifying principles, integrity is living your principles, and your “moral muscle,” The more you exercise it, the stronger you will become for challenges ahead. Let me warn you, walking the talk takes effort, just like lifting weights.
Daily living your beliefs build the habits connecting your personal and professional goals to the unifying principles that describe your “objective you.” So, don’t miss your “moral workout,” whether planning your day, counseling your subordinate, or taking the bad news to your boss. Likewise, integrity includes enjoying time with your wife, fishing with your son, and attending church.
What five goals will you work on this week to strengthen your moral muscle and walk your talk?
Remember, “all things are possible through prayer and heavy deadlifts.”™
