Consider the recent example of the little league baseball
team stripped of its U.S. World Series Championship title because the coaches
brought in players from outside the district’s official boundaries. The
hard-working boys played by the rules and won the tournament, only to be
disqualified because of the lack of integrity of the adult leaders.
Integrity in the workplace is just as important as it is on
the playing field. A leader in the hospitality industry demonstrates
his/her integrity during interactions with peers, colleagues and subordinates,
as well as with the general public.
Whether it is the housekeeper vacuuming under the bed daily,
even when she can’t see any dust or the General Manager paying for snacks from
his/her pocket and not petty cash, leading by example sets the foundation for
appropriate and honest workplace behavior.
As a leader, you earn the trust of your followers through
your demonstrations of integrity. Your team must trust you before they
will follow you. Your followers will know if you have done the right
thing, even though they were not looking.
Albert Einstein said, “Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters.”
Hospitably,
Fred Cerrone
