Integrity
Taking Responsibility for ones own Actions
Integrity is a multi-side term where we try to bring together various overlapping qualities. Integrity can be viewed as integrating various parts into a harmonious whole, intact and uncorrupted. Integrity can also be viewed as one who is holding steadfast to their commitments. Another view of integrity is that of standing for something in a consistent and public manner. Another way of thinking about integrity calls for a moral life and their intellectual responsibility in seeking to understand the demands of such a life.” [3]
For me, personal integrity means being true to one’s self. This calls for one to know what they value and then to live those values. Webster's dictionary defines integrity this way: "uncompromising adherence to a code of moral, artistic or other values; utter sincerity, honesty and candor, avoidance of deception, expediency, or shallowness of any kind"
A group’s integrity demands that individuals blend together to form a cohesive whole. Peter Whagenbach puts it this way: “Integrity can be compared to a great smoothie. It consists of many healthy and tasteful virtues such as discernment, loyalty, courage, honesty, and humility all mixed together to form one outstanding quality. Not only is it rewarding in the end, but the act of striving for it is well worth the effort.”[1]
To have group integrity there must be personal integrity based around commonly held values. Since integrity comes from within, the use of force my produce compliance but not integrity. This is why some groups function better than others. Groups with integrity believe and hold to a set of values and their internal self-discipline manifests itself as a well run group. They pull for each other; they demand much of themselves and each other. They can be counted on to put in that extra effort and as a consequence they are called upon to carry out the more difficult, the more heroic missions, which...