Mercy's boss has just let her know that her client's order is about to leave the company's
warehouse. As she picks up the phone to call them, she tells her there's a problem.
"The shipment was damaged by someone on our warehouse team," she says. "There are some
dings, but this shouldn't affect the product's performance. If they complain, we'll blame it on the
trucking company that delivered it to us."

Mercy pauses, feeling uncomfortable. "But didn't our warehouse crew damage the product?" Her
boss shrugs. "Yeah, but the customer doesn't know that. I'll just file a claim now, saying it was
damaged on delivery. Don't worry, the client won't even notice the damage."
Mercy's boss walks out and she sits at her desk, unsure what to do. She knows it's dishonest to
blame the damage on the trucking company. It's also dishonest to deceive her client, and give
them a less than perfect product.
Many of us have to make decisions that define who we are and what we believe in. Most often,
the choices we face may seem insignificant. But this doesn't mean that they're not important to
us: even the smallest action can have an impact on our self-respect, our integrity, and, ultimately,
our reputation.
In a world where headlines are often dominated by women who make the wrong choices, women who
make the right ones can seem to be rare. However, it feels good to live and work with integrity and, when
we become known for this highly valued trait, our lives and our careers can flourish.

.

There are several reasons why integrity is so important.
First, living a life of integrity means that we never have to spend time or energy questioning
ourselves. When we listen to our hearts and do the right thing, life becomes simple. Our life, and
our actions, are open for everyone to see, and we don't have to worry about hiding anything.
When we have integrity, we gain the trust of our leaders, our colleagues and our team. We're
dependable, and, when we hold ourselves accountable for our actions, we become role models
for others to follow.
All of this, in turn, directly impacts our success in life. Women who live and work with integrity
are more likely to be considered for promotions. Why? Because integrity is a hallmark of ethical
leadership. Oorganizations want leaders that they can trust, and when you demonstrate integrity,
you show everyone that you can be trusted.