People hold leaders to a higher standard.
Not only does everyone expect their leader to act with integrity, but they also expect them to bring a particular brand of honesty with them as they navigate difficult situations and make decisions.
Leaders are also expected to operate with an Intellectual Integrity beyond the foundational ideals of honesty, openness, and transparency.
The idea of intellectual integrity embodies much of what leaders think of when they describe integrity but adds several choices and behaviors that apply specifically to how leaders make decisions and think about what they know and believe in.
Leaders with Intellectual Integrity candidly share their version of truth (small t, not capital T), knowing full well they could be wrong or misguided.
They project confidence while at the same time maintaining a degree of skepticism about their own beliefs. However, they don’t allow any doubts to hold them back from expressing their reasoned views and opinions.
They believe anyone who has knowledge, or a considered viewpoint, has an obligation to share it with others.
When making decisions, those leaders with Intellectual Integrity set aside desired outcomes and depend on factual evidence and analysis to reach conclusions.
They know personal biases and beliefs interfere with the pursuit of truth, so they attempt to maintain an objectivity about what they hear and learn. They concede the truth wherever they find it, even if it originates from an unpopular source or person.
Intellectual Integrity requires leaders to be comfortable not knowing, and they are quick to say they “don’t know” when they don’t. But they are exceedingly comfortable with what they do know and value. They consistently apply those values to situations, challenges, and opportunities.
Leaders with Intellectual Integrity know themselves well enough to understand their biases and blinders and consider them with every exchange.
They are fully aware of their imperfections and are not shy to let others know about them. But they have the inner confidence to push ahead and seek the truth rather than wait for it to emerge.
In the end, they hold the “best,” “right,” “practical,” and “truthful” answer as the ultimate prize.
The ability to see the world as it really is, and not how they wish it to be, is the hallmark of a leader with Intellectual Integrity.
When the certainties a leader believes in are constrained by strong evidence, sound arguments, and indisputable facts, they are on the road toward a higher Intellectual Integrity.
How fast are you driving down that road?
