Lowell McAdam, CEO at Verizon, LinkedIn Pulse, May 20, 2015
I can clearly remember where I was and how I was feeling when I was 22.
Thanks to an ROTC scholarship, I was finishing my undergrad degree at Cornell and getting ready to move from Ithaca, NY to San Diego to join a branch of the U.S. Navy known as the Seabees (the Navy’s engineering and construction unit). Little did I know I would eventually have the opportunity to help build the set for the movie “Top Gun” … but that’s a story for another day.
Moving cross-country to California was a pretty big deal–one that had me feeling grateful for the opportunity, nervous about such a big life change, and excited about all of the possibilities that lie ahead.
Fast forward through six years in the Navy, grad school, and a long career in communications involving several tours abroad in Europe and Asia, countless mistakes, and plenty of unforeseen challenges … I’ve clung to [this] advice that I wish I knew when I was 22 (and still rely on today):
If I had to give just one piece of advice, to anyone, in any career, it would be this: your integrity is everything.
It’s at the core of who you are as a person. It builds trust, and trust is nearly impossible to regain, in any relationship, once it’s lost.
Over the years, I’ve seen so many talented people fall by the wayside because they were willing to cut corners to try to get ahead–padding an expense report, fudging numbers on their results, or “enhancing” their resume.
Eventually, this behavior catches up with them. They lose the respect of their teammates and peers, or it results in a major media event that ruins their career. If you have integrity and can be comfortable in your own skin, you won’t need to embellish or deceive. Your actions will represent you well.
Any day of the week, give me the “solid” performer who oozes integrity over the “rock star” performer who believes the end justifies the means.
What I try to remember: your integrity is your brand … and just like brands in the business world, your individual brand takes years to build and seconds to destroy.
I can clearly remember where I was and how I was feeling when I was 22.
Thanks to an ROTC scholarship, I was finishing my undergrad degree at Cornell and getting ready to move from Ithaca, NY to San Diego to join a branch of the U.S. Navy known as the Seabees (the Navy’s engineering and construction unit). Little did I know I would eventually have the opportunity to help build the set for the movie “Top Gun” … but that’s a story for another day.
Moving cross-country to California was a pretty big deal–one that had me feeling grateful for the opportunity, nervous about such a big life change, and excited about all of the possibilities that lie ahead.
Fast forward through six years in the Navy, grad school, and a long career in communications involving several tours abroad in Europe and Asia, countless mistakes, and plenty of unforeseen challenges … I’ve clung to [this] advice that I wish I knew when I was 22 (and still rely on today):
If I had to give just one piece of advice, to anyone, in any career, it would be this: your integrity is everything.
It’s at the core of who you are as a person. It builds trust, and trust is nearly impossible to regain, in any relationship, once it’s lost.
Over the years, I’ve seen so many talented people fall by the wayside because they were willing to cut corners to try to get ahead–padding an expense report, fudging numbers on their results, or “enhancing” their resume.
Eventually, this behavior catches up with them. They lose the respect of their teammates and peers, or it results in a major media event that ruins their career. If you have integrity and can be comfortable in your own skin, you won’t need to embellish or deceive. Your actions will represent you well.
Any day of the week, give me the “solid” performer who oozes integrity over the “rock star” performer who believes the end justifies the means.
What I try to remember: your integrity is your brand … and just like brands in the business world, your individual brand takes years to build and seconds to destroy.
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