Integrity Still Matters
The reporter couldn’t understand why Fernandez let Mutai when the race. Fernandez didn’t see his actions as letting Mutai win. Rather, he knew Mutai had run the better race. Mutai had gotten to the finish line before he did. Mutai had only made a mistake in stopping early.
Knowing this, Fernandez put aside a cheap victory. He, instead, chose to help Mutai win the race.
This is a great example of integrity.
Sure, Fernandez could have passed Mutai but he felt like this would have been a cheap victory. He hadn’t run the better run. Mutai did. Mutai deserved to cross the finish line first.
Dictionary.com defines integrity as:
the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.
This is what Fernandez exemplified during the end of this run. He let his strong moral principles and uprightness guide his actions. He chose to help someone else finish their race first before he finished his.
Do you have the integrity to lead well even when it will cost you your success? Are you willing to stop what you’re doing to help another leader succeed?
These are things we have to think about as we lead. We cannot be for ourselves. We have to be for others.
As we lead, we have to remember who we are. We also have to remember WHOSE we are. As Christian leaders, our integrity and faith need to come before any victory or success we’re chasing after.
Live a life of integrity and you will never have to worry about doing the right thing. You will choose it because it is the right thing to do.
This article originally appeared here, and is used by permission.
