Integrity is the touchstone of leadership. Without it, there is no credibility.
This past Sunday provided us with lessons in integrity delivered by two collegiate athletes.
The first lesson was from a basketball player who did something stupid. Marcus Smart of Oklahoma State went into the stands in pursuit of a play and when hearing an insult from a fan and stood up rose up and pushed the fan who taunted him. Smart was called for a foul and left the game.
The next day Smart said he was sorry for his actions at a press conference. Unlike the “celebrity apologies” we hear so often, young Smart stood up, and without notes “owned up to” the situation. He apologized to the loud-mouthed fan (whom I believe provoked him) as well as to his teammates for depriving them of his services during the three-game suspension he must serve.
The second lesson is will have far greater consequences. Michael Sam, Defensive Player of the Year in the SEC, told ESPN reporter Chris Connelly that he was gay. In doing so, Sam becomes the first openly gay player to try out for the NFL. While Sam had told his teammates last August that he was homosexual, he thought he should tell his story on his own terms and announce his homosexuality prior to the NFL Draft. Such action could affect his draft status since every aspect of a football player’s life is under intense scrutiny.
While Smart and Sam both face different issues, the common thread is integrity. Marcus Smart did something stupid (pun NOT intended) but he admitted it and his apology was genuine. No if’s, no but’s and none of the odious “if I have offended anyone” weaseling we have come to expect from celebrities. Michael Sam stood up for himself. And while I believe an individual’s sexual preference is not something that employers need to know, Sam decided to stand up for who he is. In his
While both athletes are still young, they are demonstrating wisdom beyond their years and thereby teaching the rest of us that if you expect to be taken seriously you must own your situation. Smart could have waffled, or stood up and read a prepared statement from the Athletic Department. [We have come to expect this.] Sam could have said nothing. While the NFL scouts supposedly knew of his homosexuality, he declared his orientation with a sense of pride.
Leadership by nature is an active process, but so often leaders do not choose the issues they face. Good leaders do more than respond; they own the issue. The accept responsibility and own the consequences. Smart never should have pushed a fan – albeit an obnoxious one. Sam has the right of privacy, but since rumors were floating he decided to declare his homosexuality as part of his humanity.
So often those in senior positions are advised by handlers to spin an issue rather than address it. If a company makes a misstep, the CEO is expected to use a pro forma apology that has all the warmth of a legal brief. My advice to any CEO who is handed such a script is to toss it into the waste bin and instead recall what Smart and Sam did – speak from the heart!
Sincerity is the foundation for authenticity. Dodging an issue seldom wins followers. Owning an issue creates a foundation of trust.
