Character and Integrity Matters: The Essence of Leadership

Cultivating Ethical Leadership Through Self-Reflection and Trust

By exploring the profound impact ethical leadership has on healthcare, community involvement, and learning environments, Juli underscores the importance of trust, transparency, and respectful communication. Drawing inspiration from thought leaders like Brene Brown and Simon Sinek, the discussion highlights strategies for navigating disagreements, aligning shared values, and fostering open communication. Practical tools such as reflective journaling and self-evaluation prompts are provided to encourage leaders to stay true to their core values, seek feedback, and support their teams effectively. The episode emphasizes that leadership is an ongoing journey of growth, urging listeners to embody and promote essential leadership values in all aspects of life.

00:00 Introduction and Personal Background

00:43 The Importance of Leadership Character

01:57 Voting and Leadership Integrity

03:08 Personal Values and Volunteering

05:28 Trust in Leadership

10:04 Navigating Disagreements with Integrity

12:13 Questions for Evaluating Leadership

16:38 Aligning with Leaders of Integrity

17:08 Navigating Value Alignment in Leadership

18:15 Strategies for Self-Reflection and Growth

18:52 The Power of Journaling

19:50 Seeking Feedback and Setting Standards

20:41 Mindfulness Practices for Leaders

23:36 Ethical Decision Making

24:23 Communication and Transparency

26:36 Accountability in Leadership

27:06 Empathy and Support for Your Team

28:33 Applying Leadership Principles in All Areas of Life

29:34 Conclusion: Embracing Continuous Growth

Transcript

0:59

Welcome to another extraordinary week. I'm glad you're here with me joining in. I hope that you will enjoy this episode and share it with your friends. My name is Julie Reynolds and I am a nurse coach and aromatherapist. And I have a lot of different opportunities to talk to a lot of nurses, mostly, and leaders, and have an opportunity to speak to leaders in healthcare organizations and nurse coaches as we solve the problem of leadership. And I would say probably most on my mind now that. being so close to the election and how we make our decisions and how I work in this world. And just being reflective on that, it's showing up a lot in my journal. So I'm going to talk a little bit about that that about leadership and the character of a leader in my journey as a leader and a member of my community. I've come to realize that the character of a leader profoundly Influences not only my work life, but also my values and choices in those broader contexts, It really shapes my understanding of what effective leadership looks like. And my husband will always call me on this, that once I start to disrespect a leader because I sense that lack of character or the lack of integrity, it's really hard for me to give that back to them. And so I'm. This is top of mind so that I can be honest in my evaluation and I can have the conversations that I need to have and process in the way I do instead of just disrespecting someone because of a feeling I have. So this is something that I put a lot of thought into. Now, the character of a leader can be very inspiring, and it inspires me when I encounter these leaders to strive for the qualities in my own leadership style, and that reinforces my commitment to fostering that culture of trust and collaboration. In wherever I am showing up in the world. Now, when it comes to voting, I tend to prioritize candidates who demonstrate strong ethical standards and genuine commitment to serving their communities. I believe that the character of elected officials is very important. I believe everything hinges on being able to trust them to stick to their word. Their integrity impacts the policies that they support and the way they engage with their communities and their constituents. This perspective guides my voting decisions. And so I seek leaders who are transparent and accountable and understanding that their character will shape the government of our society. This is key to the way I vote. I will not trust someone who is all over the place. And Is closed minded, or it certainly has shown themselves to be unable to really empathize or to be able to stick to character. I do not have to agree with a leader on every aspect of policy or decision making, but I need to trust their character. I need to trust their integrity. in my personal life, if I'm going to dedicate time to volunteering in an organization, it's going to need to align with my values. And I choose to support initiatives that are led by individuals who display a strong moral compass, believing that the character of the Of those in leadership positions influences that impact that we can make together, whether it's in mentoring young leaders or supporting local health initiatives participating in community projects, I'm drawn to causes that reflect integrity and character in their missions. I've always said that I'm a vision catcher. So somebody casts a compelling vision and they have a strong character. I'm going to get probably very excited about their vision, and I'm more likely to buy into that At the same time, if someone has a compelling vision and a cause worth supporting, if they lack integrity or character, or if they've had those missteps and not owned them, and I don't see them as somebody who has that growth mindset, who's able to change their mind and change their policies based on what they learn, or that they're. open to differing views, then I'm probably not going to trust them and I'm probably not getting on board. So all that said, my learning choices are usually shaped by leaders that I look up to. And I seek out educational opportunities that are led by those who prioritize character development alongside the professional skills. And I tend to gravitate towards programs that emphasize So the people I surround myself with are going to be a reflection of my values, and I think that holds true for everyone. everyone. So that's why we have to really look at who we're hanging out with. Who are we aligning with? Who are we working with, partnering with? It really matters. And to intentionally choose to spend time with individuals who exemplify that strong character and integrity. That's inspiring to me. And Helps me to elevate my own standards. These relationships foster that environment of mutual respect and support and empower us to grow together as leaders and individuals. And again, I will say that it's easier to have a disagreement with a leader that you know you can trust. It's easier to follow a leader that you know you can trust.'cause even if you disagree. There are a lot of things that really smart people that I acknowledge are so much smarter than me, have more experience, have studied more, will come back down on the same, on opposite sides of the same issue. So that means that there's some room for us to grow and to adapt and to maybe even adjust. even when we disagree with the decision that is made, it doesn't mean that it's a bad one. It might mean it's a different one. And it might mean that we have to do a little give and take, especially if we're following a leader. Now, if I'm going to talk a little bit later about how we evaluate ourselves in that aspect too, because I know a lot of you are, Leaders and probably will be thinking about your own leadership style. Are you showing the people you follow that they can trust you? So character of a leader is that thread that weaves through every aspect of my life and from my professional environment to my voting decisions. to volunteering, to learning experiences, personal relationships. So I have to make sure that I'm aligning myself with leaders who embody these essential qualities. I've spent a lot of time working in places where I don't have that trust and it is miserable. And I will also say that when I'm asked to. For my opinion or my feedback or my insight into workplaces and teams, especially in the healthcare setting, I will say that we have to get down to that root cause of that level of trust that we have with our leaders.'cause if that trust isn't there, our culture will suffer and it will. Those leaders will never get the results or the outcomes they want from their teams. They will never solve these metrics that they've set up or meet these metrics or solve their problems if they don't address. The trust issues. So we're going to talk a little bit about that. And I'm going to try not to make this really long, but we're going to talk about the importance of character and integrity, because that is really for several reasons. First, I've already mentioned trust leaders who act with integrity can create the environment where team members feel safe to express their ideas and concerns. And this trust is vital for open communication, for collaboration, for innovation, and these are things that we that leaders expect of their employees, expect from those that they lead, and sometimes they don't give them what they need to be able to do That and to work at that level. Brene Brown is a research search professor and author. And she emphasizes the importance of vulnerability in leadership. She argues that vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change. And I right now work with a leader who. I think it masters that she has the balance of a really appropriate amount of authenticity and vulnerability and that integrity, and it makes her team want to follow her. So Brene would say that leaders with integrity encourage that vulnerability by demonstrating their own commitment to transparency and authenticity. And I think even if your leader is making, or you as a leader are making an attempt at that, it will show. Now, I'm not saying that it's an easy thing. I think it's a very challenging thing for a lot of leaders. So it's not easy or everyone would be doing it. So the other thing is leaders with strong character are more likely to make those ethical decisions, even in challenging situations, because they're guided by their values and their principles rather than personal gain or external pressures. So they're not thinking always about what is going to, what Is going to come down the pike at them and what it's going to cost them if they make this the right decision, or they might be thinking about it, but they'll choose the right thing. This commitment is again, doing the right thing, regardless of the consequences. It creates that moral compass for their teams. Simon Sinek is a author, a motivational speaker, and he highlights that. Great leaders prioritize the well being of their team members over their own interests. This selflessness not only fosters the loyalty, but also cultivates a culture of shared values. And that is a really great place to be now. In the face of disagreements because that's going to happen. Disagreements are inevitable. They're an inevitable part of any leadership dynamic. You're not always going to agree and the people you lead, lead are not always gonna see things from your perspective, and they're not always gonna see things the way. There are things that they don't know, and you're gonna have to make decisions and maybe even on things that you're not going to be able to share with them. That's when it becomes important that they trust you. because when you find yourself. At odds with a leader who exemplifies integrity and character, it can be challenging. But those leaders often also encourage that healthy debate and the valuing differing perspectives, which can lead to productive discussions. And I can't Know that it's not easy to hear those things and it's not easy to have someone in the room who's always going to speak their mind and always going to challenge some of the things or ask the questions that maybe you don't want to answer, but it's really important for the team dynamic and for playing the long game to be able to handle those things and to get good at it. Engaging in disagreement with an integrity driven leader can be a constructive process if it's approached with respect and openness, and that's so much easier to do with an integrity driven leader because they are going to welcome that, and they are not going to be threatened by it, they are not going to be shaken by it and that is Everything. I think that probably comes down to a lot of it is that insecurity of a leader is that when someone asks a question or challenges, if you are feeling a little threatened, your response is going to be a little bit different. So I would say if that is you and you find that happens to you as a leader, or maybe just a In any aspect, just when you're confronted, take a deep breath and remember your values and remember what you stand for. Remember what you want to create and how you really want to show up in the world. Now, to navigate these disagreements, it's really essential to ask the critical questions about trustworthy leadership. A couple questions that I have posed to leaders that just to consider and things that we have unpacked, even in coaching is, first of all, what are the underlying values driving the decision? So understanding your motivations, understanding the leader's motivations can really help clarify the perspective. So ask the question, what is driving the decision? I always like to ask, what is the problem that we're solving, and what is the goal that we have, what is the outcome that you want, because sometimes they have presented an outcome, and they have but the way to get there is not, maybe you disagree about the way to get there, and maybe there's some room for revising that based on a shared perspective. Now, another question to ask is, how can I express my concerns while respecting their authority? So this is all take a deep breath and ask yourself these questions. And the same thing with your, if you're the leader being approached, This is how you can address it as well. How can you express your concerns while respecting the person in front of you? So crafting that respectful approach fosters that constructive dialogue. Again, when you witness a leader who's able to do this and is really Strong with their values. They're clear on their values. They're strong in integrity and character, and they have those intentions to, to be vulnerable and to hold to their values and to, and they value their team. You'll recognize this and in this will not have to be something that causes drama in the workplace or in the community because you'll be able to have these discussions. Again, we're not gonna land on the same side of the, of the debate every single time, but that's okay. That's okay. So the other thing is what common goals do we share? So identifying those shared objectives can create a foundation for collaboration and for compromise. Again, what common goals do we share? And you can just ask that out loud so that it can open up for collaboration and compromise, because sometimes leaders will roll out a plan, And they missed some information when they bring it to their team, they find out that there was something that they didn't consider. If they're open and they're confident and they're open to these conversations, they will recognize that we have a common goal and they will be able to easily identify the places for collaboration and compromise. And this is, of course, I'm talking about you're translating this, right? And as when you are the leader and when you are the follower, because there are sometimes as followers, We are going to have to, we are the ones that have to give, right? So we, if you're the leader, you're making the decision and you're the one that gets to identify those spaces for collaboration and compromise. If you're the follower, you are going to fall into those places of collaboration and compromise, but you're not always going to, it's not always gonna fall fall on the side. You're not gonna get everything that you want, and that's okay. So Brendan Bouchard is a high performance coach and author, and he is the founder of Growth Day, the app that I talk about all the time. And I encourage you to get in that app. It's an all in one growth app, journaling, goal setting. You could put reminders in there. There's daily inspiration courses by experts that very worth having all of that. There's a link in the notes below. Click on that link. You get a chance to try it for free and see what you think. Okay, so back to Brendan Bouchard is that high performance coach and he emphasizes the importance of aligning team members around common mission. When leaders and team members share a vision, it becomes that easier to navigate the disagreements constructively. Again, going back to that. What common goal do we share? How can I express my concerns while respecting thing? the other person's authority or experience? And what are the underlying values driving this decision? Those are all really important questions to ask. And I hope you write, take some time to write those down. I would even put them, maybe, in your notes, in your phone, so that when you get into the places that you need it, you could take a couple deep breaths, ask yourself those questions and revisit that how you really want to show up in those situations. Now, aligning or misaligning with the leaders of integrity, that is, it's important to recognize again, that alignment is not always possible. And the disagreements rooted in differing values or ethical principles can create a lot of tension. So in those cases, we can ask ourselves another set of questions. First of all, do I share the same core values as my leader? So if their value, if your leader is valuing the budget and that isn't a value of yours, you're going to have some issues there. Am I willing to compromise my values for the sake of alignment? And what can I learn from this disagreement? And again, it's really important for us to, as followers and as leaders, to know our values and to know what are we making our decisions based on? Are we making it based on that? We wanna make sure that we don't have anything that is out of alignment with how we really wanna show up.'cause disagreements can lead to personal and professional growth if they're approached with the mindset of curiosity rather than defensiveness. And again, when you work with a leader who's one of their mottos is stay curious. You know how good of situation that is. If that misalignment is too great, it might just be a signal to reconsider your role within the organization it might determine your vote at election time, regardless when we are all going to find ourselves in those places where we're not aligned with everyone on our team, with our leader, if we're a leader, we're not going to be aligned with all the everyone we lead, and that's going to be a place where we have to really consider that collaboration. I'm going to share with you a couple of, a strategy for self reflection. That includes a couple of things that we can do on the regular so that we know When we get into those situations, I was saying about being clear about your values and understanding what you're making those, just what you're basing decisions on and strategies for self reflection is going to be regular journaling. So dedicate time. Each week, it doesn't have to be every day and journaling, there's no rules to it. Just get it on paper, reflect on your leadership experiences, the decisions, the interactions. I, again, in my conversations with leaders, usually it's just unpacking what actually happened and what are the emotions that are coming up and what. Are those emotions producing thoughts that are causing behaviors that are leading to outcomes that you want or don't want? So we can reflect on what went well, what didn't, and how you aligned those with your core values. Again, it's important to understand your core values, and if you're not sure that you really understand your core values, then click the link below and schedule a no regret discovery session with me. And we'll spend 20 minutes, chat on the phone a little bit, or on zoom and get to know what you're trying to create. And I'll get you some resources that will get you pointed in the right direction. So don't stay stuck there on your core values and being and wondering and cycling around on making decisions and not knowing why. feedback from others is also a really good place to look for that for honest insights and anonymous surveys are good for honest insights. I know that our workplace does a cultural survey and I'm not really sure sometimes if they get it right with who they direct these questions to, but regardless, they get the feedback and they take action on that and those can be helpful, but peers, mentors. Team leaders can give you feedback about your leadership style, if you just ask. Get some feedback from others, set personal standards, define what integrity and character mean to you personally, and then outline the specific behaviors and activities that align with those values and refer back to them regularly. Mindfulness practices are also key. Just taking some time to deeply Breathe and enhance that self awareness and emotional regulation. I will say that 10 minutes every day of mindfulness activity, even get an app calm is one headspace is my favorite. Just do. Up to 10 minutes every morning just helps you train your brain to stop when you start to feel the tension or you start to notice being out of alignment, it helps you just really stop your thoughts and take some deep breaths and get to where you want to be and show up in the way you want to show up and be more responsive than reactive. This is going to help you respond thoughtfully rather than reactively and in those challenging situations. Transcribed And then again, the values assessment. So you want to periodically evaluate your core values, review them and how they're aligning with your leadership practices. And are you living there about those values in your decision and interactions? And this will go to. When you are a leader under leaders, this can be really challenging to hold your values when your leader doesn't share those values. And then you have to come back to your team and operate out of integrity and your own values. It can be very challenging, but you can do it. There is a way to stay true to your values and honor your leader that maybe you don't disagree, maybe you don't are completely aligned with. There are ways to do that and so that we can keep this balance. So again, that self evaluation framework asking some quick questions. What are my core values? How do they influence my leadership style? And how do I recognize my strengths and weaknesses as a leader? You can write these down. and then some prompts for your journal might be to write about a recent decision that you made. How did your values form this choice and reflect on a challenging situation. What emotions did you experience and how did you handle them? A journal is a place where you can be really raw and really honest because it's just for you. I like to journal in composition books because they're mostly just notebooks and it's really easy for me to tear a page out or to just throw the whole book away so that. I know that it's just mine. It's just for me. And it's just for my processing. If I learn, if I write something that I really want to remember, and I've got my values, then I will, I can keep it. But again, you can be really raw and really honest. just make sure you tell yourself the truth. If you're writing, don't worry about if somebody else is going to see it. That just made me think of the song. Uh, by the carpenters, I believe sing, sing a song. Don't worry. If it's not good enough for anyone else to see, because it's really just for you. All right. But remember to tell yourself the truth. All right. Ethical decision making. Some questions you can ask yourself is when faced with a difficult decision, do I prioritize ethical considerations over personal gain? How do I handle situations where my values are at conflict with the organizational goals? That's a big one. Prompts for your journal would be to describe a recent ethical decision, a dilemma. And how did you choose, what did you choose and why did you choose it? Consider a time, when you stood up for your values. What was the outcome that can be very triggering, but good to learn the lessons from so that, either what to do differently next time, or to know that the next time you've been through it before you made it through, you did it before you can do it again, because sometimes we do just have to stand up. For what's right the other thing communication and transparency questions that you can ask yourself is, am I open to honest, am I open and honest in my communication with my team? The difference, you'll know the answer. Really think about that, but then think about why. So I did have a client once say, I'm not, wasn't completely honest with my team and we drilled down on why? And it just came to that there were just some things that she wasn't sure they would receive well. When she unpacked it and got to the root cause, she was able to go back to her team and share the things that she was afraid that She really wasn't trusting them with the information. When she did trust them with the information, it went very well, and they were able to come to a solution. And so that's how this works. Because when we're honest with ourselves, we can, we usually will find. Solutions that will work. Another question. Do I encourage others to express their thoughts and feelings? I think leaders can get really tired of hearing other people's thoughts and feelings, especially when they're not on solid ground with the people they answer to. Or when they're not on solid ground or very confident that the decision that they made is the best one. And that all goes back to the insecurity of a leader. And I did an episode of that a couple weeks ago. So I'm not sure what episode number it is. If I was really fancy, I would tell my assistant to put it in the show notes right now. But I'm not. And so maybe I'll look it up. Maybe I won't. But scroll back on the list. It's in about the security or insecurity of a leader. Okay. So prompts reflect on a recent team meeting. Did everyone feel heard? And did you facilitate the discussion? Or were you in a hurry and to get back to work? Or did you have a lot of things, other things on your mind? There are a lot of really simple, easy to move Barricades to these relationships. If you're sincerely trying. Right about a time when you shared, when you had to share difficult news, how did you approach it? Then how was it received? And then on the accountability. On the issue of accountability, do I take responsibility for my actions and decisions, even when it's uncomfortable? That's a tough one. How do I respond to feedback, both positive and negative? Then your prompts can be to think of a mistake that you made as a leader and how did you handle it? What did you learn? Reflect on how to hold your team accountable. Do you model the behavior yourself? These are all questions and prompts that you can use in your journal. And then empathy and support. Am I attentive to the needs and emotions of my team members? Do I provide support and resources to help them succeed? And then describe a situation where you showed empathy towards the team member and what impact it did have. Writing these things down will solidify. It will. Bring it to, it will make it easier for your brain to bring up the experience and the lessons learned from it the next time you're in this situation. And then write about ways that you can improve your support or your team. What steps will you take? These are all questions and prompts that I have sat with leaders in coaching sessions, and we've gone through a lot of these together over time. We can answer all of these questions and it is a powerful thing. Again, it's driven by what is within. And so if you could go through these things with a journal, if you are curious about what it looks like in coaching, again, reach out to me. I'd love to chat with you and get you pointed in that direction and just let you have an experience of what it's like to hear yourself say these things out loud and answer these questions out loud and get really honest. It is powerful, it is transformational. And I hope that you have a place that you experience that either with a mentor or with your journal, with a good friend or accountability partner. I think we all need that. And I would say really taking a look at this is important for all of us. It can be, it's great in the home too, if you're a parent, this, these are great questions to translate with how you're. How you operate in your family with your with your parents, with your kids, with your partners. So important to have a really solid this is how we train our brains to cooperate with us in showing up in the way that we really want to in our homes, in our communities, in our workplaces, in our businesses, wherever we are showing up to lead, because I think everybody's a leader. You're a leader if you're listening to this, you're a leader. Otherwise, why would you be listening? I guess if you don't see yourself as a leader, Maybe you are getting ready to vote and you're choosing. Being a leader or you're frustrated with your leader. So all of these things can. Can be helpful, right. To process through and really think those things. Things so that you can make those, the right decision, the right decision for you, the right. Right decision for you. All right. So to wrap it all up by engaging in regular self evaluation, using the framework, those prompts and those questions, you can cultivate the qualities of character and integrity That define effective leadership. Now, remember that the journey to becoming a trustworthy leader is an ongoing one, we're all growing and learning, embracing opportunities for the growth to be, and to be open to adjusting your approach as you learn from both successes and from challenges. And through this process, you will not only embrace your leadership capabilities, but also inspire those around you to embody similar values. the character of a leader, it's a thread that weaves through every aspect of my life. I know it does yours to professional voting decisions, volunteer work, learning experiences, personal relationships. And by aligning ourselves with leaders and being the kind of leaders who embody those essential qualities, we can strive to contribute positively to our work, our community while continually evolving as. in our personal development and our personal improvement until next time, go out every day and default to yes, your extraordinary self.