Theft is the only sin. Boots on the ground. Balance. Doing the right thing when no one is looking. Its better to be trusted than loved. Don’t rent space in your head. Be a gentle giant. These are the beatitudes of integrity. Persons with integrity don’t just strive to take the high road; they live it. Natural laws and behavioral science affect the physical and the metaphysical as well. Our credibility is defined by our integrity and not necessarily by what we have accomplished. We build that credibility by living a life, cognizant or not, in step with the science of integrity. Our integrity is measured in four groups: personal, social, moral, and structural. The I in I Factor stands for integrity. Living the I factor will develop your character into the person that your colleagues, friends, and family members will trust and respect. Implementing programs that put the I factor in the heart of managing will create respectful and productive work environments. When people honor great men and women during award dinners and in their eulogies, you inevitably hear, He was a man of great integrity. When bridges fell, news anchors would chagrin, The integrity of the bridge was compromised by the years. My grandmother, from her rocking chair, said, Paul Carter, don’t ever give up your integrity. It’s the only thing your children will remember you for.
It drove me crazy. I needed to know without a shadow of a doubt the true meaning of integrity. I did not find it in the dictionary or encyclopedia but in the character of great men and women. If we emulated the I factor in our lives, our economics, our politics, and our moral compass for the synergy of social interaction would see positive returns. There would be no hostile work environments. We would know the joys of life and liberty, and peace would be the norm around the world and in our minds. Before you read the I Factor, ask yourself, Do I believe I have the I factor? Do others see the I factor in me? Read this book, and you will have your answers. Don’t just seek the high road. Live it.
