How to Build Trust Through Daily Integrity Choices

“Just tell them what they want to hear.” My colleague whispered this to me before a stakeholder readout where our data showed results they would not like. I had a choice: massage the numbers to make everyone happy, or present the truth and risk disappointing key stakeholders. I chose the truth. The stakeholders were not thrilled. But they appreciated the honesty. Six months later, they gave us the biggest project yet. Here is what I learned: Integrity is not just about doing the right thing. It is about building sustainable relationships. Short-term wins built on half-truths become long-term losses of trust. The most successful professionals I know have one thing in common: they tell the truth, even when it is uncomfortable. They deliver bad news with solutions, not excuses. They admit when they do not know something instead of pretending. They take responsibility for mistakes before anyone asks. They keep promises, even small ones. Integrity is not about being perfect. It is about being honest about your imperfections. In a world full of shortcuts and convenient truths, integrity is your competitive advantage. What situation tested your integrity and taught you the most about its value?

Building 360-Degree Trust – Part 2 There are many ingredients that go into building 360-Degree Trust in your organization or on your team. In part two of this series, I will touch on four key ingredients for leaders to work on to make 360-Degree Trust a reality. First, you must bring the most important part to the table yourself. You must have integrity and be of good character. Men and women want to be led by better men and women than they themselves are. You must always be a person of your word, and just as importantly your actions must match what you say. If you say one thing, but do another thing, it is your actions that will be believed. Always be honest with the people in your organization, even when it is hard to do so. Always do the right thing for the people in your organization and for the organization, even when it is not in your own best interest to do so. Second, you must be professionally competent. The people on your team deserve that, and you owe it to them. You should always strive to be a little bit better each day professionally. You can always learn something new, and sometimes that is from people who work FOR you. This means you must be willing and able to put your ego aside. Third, always give credit where credit is due. My philosophy has always been very simple in this regard. If my team was successful, I went to the boss and said, “look what my guys and gals did and Jim and Jane did a great job”. If we were unsuccessful, then I went to my boss and said, “I messed up and this is how we are going to fix it". As the leader you do not get to pick and choose what you are responsible for. You are responsible for everything that does or does not happen in your organization. Take the blame and give the praise. Lastly, if you want to build 360-Degree Trust in your organization you must get to know the people you lead, they must get to know you and they must get to know each other. You must build a community. One of the best ways for you to get to know the people on your team and for them to get to know you is to get out from behind your desk and visit your people where they work. Every day make it a goal to find one person on your team and find out one new personal thing about them. I had a boss who retired as a 3-star general who told me, “No matter how high up you get never turn down a chance to get your own cup of coffee”. When you do this, you show everyone that you are not a prima donna. And if you are lucky, you have multiple ways to get to the coffee pot and back to your office so you can stop and talk to people along the way. Leadership is about people, plain and simple. For you to effectively lead your organization you must build a 360-Degree Trust. Establishing this 360-Degree Trust is one of the most important things you can do as a leader. Make it a priority and I promise your efforts will be greatly rewarded.

We have been interviewing for additional team members.  It’s not unusual for employment recruiters to reach out to pitch their services. One particularly aggressive recruiter contacted me and said they charge 25% of the first years’ salary for any placement they send our way. After explaining that our regular recruiters average around 15%, he said he could match that and promptly sent me over a recruiting agreement to be signed. When I questioned why the agreement stated 20% rather than the 15% we had agreed on, he said “Don’t worry about that.  I just have to show my boss the 20% but I’ll change the number once we get a candidate placed for you.” The good news: his creative number crunching COULD save us $4,000 - $5,000.  The bad news: it WOULD cost us our integrity by doing business with someone who was just trying to make a fast commission and take advantage of their employer. With one of our core values being Accountability, it makes choices like the one above an easy answer. Defining your core values ahead of time can guide you, your family, and in our case the business towards desired results of integrity.  Proverbs 11:3 “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their dishonesty”. When it comes to building relationships and sustaining a successful business, integrity isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s the foundation. Here’s why: ✔️ Trust is Everything: Without integrity, there's no trust. Without trust, there’s no business relationship that can endure. Every partnership, deal, or client interaction is built on this foundational principle. ✔️ Reputation Precedes You: In our hyper-connected world, a reputation for integrity is your most valuable asset. It speaks before you enter the room and lingers long after you leave. ✔️ Long-Term Gains: Short-term gains without integrity are just that: short-term. They don't lead to sustainable growth or lasting relationships. Integrity paves the way for opportunities that aren’t even on your radar yet. It’s also just the right thing to do. And there’s nothing more important than a clear conscience. Integrity might cost you upfront, sometimes even a deal or two, but it pays dividends in ways that will serve you in the long run. 👉 I’d love to know your thoughts. Has a commitment to integrity impacted your business relationships? What’s your integrity worth to you? ------------------------------------- I’m Rusty Fulling, Founder & CEO of Fulling Management & Accounting. We’re passionate about helping business owners gain clarity, grow their profits and gain peace of mind while supporting your growth as a leader. Click the link in my bio to download our new Cashflow Forecast template 📒