Gear Up For Excellence - Seeds Training & NCCEP Present the Youth Leadership Summit 2009

The word integrity is used often in discussion of world and local leaders. People talk about whether a particular person has it or if it has been compromised. The challenge is defining what integrity is and how it affects peoples relationships and ability to lead.

Looking at two triangles that are identical in size and shape the participants identified them as congruent. When placed on top of one another, they are a perfect match. When participants think of one of those triangles as their values and the other as their behaviors they are better able to think about their own integrity. Participants began to consider matching their values and behaviors.

For example, if someone had a stated value of being on time, they would match that with a behavior of being prompt or even early for their appointments. If the stated value was a great relationship with family members, they could match that with spending more time at home or increasing their interaction with their kids.

Once participants understood the concept and how it applied to themselves, they had an opportunity to put it to action. Participants stood in the room and listened to a variety of statements that required a value judgment. Quietly participants moved around the room to demonstrate their belief through action. At times one or two participants would stand alone while the rest of the group was in another part of the room.

At the end of the activity the group discussed what was challenging about the activity. Participants commented that their values had changed as they grew older. It was difficult to make a quick decision in some cases. Some participants talked about the little voice in their heads as they wondered what their peers would think of them for holding a certain belief. It was agreed that it is not always easy to be congruent with behaviors and values, but that integrity was and is an essential element for personal character and leadership ability.