Catch the VIBE - Integrity
Integrity is a cornerstone of being a resilient woman leader. It's the commitment to aligning our actions with our values, creating authenticity in your leadership.
It’s important to be clear on your values and your beliefs and be open to them shifting and expanding. When you are clear on your values, it’s easy to communicate them either verbally or with your consistent actions. Communication in this way makes it easy for others to know where you stand and how you might react to a challenging situation. It trains others on how you’d like to be treated.
This is especially important when dealing with challenges and stressful situations. Because you’ve communicated your values to others, they are more likely to respect the decision you’ve made and the reasons why that decision was made.
To me, making decisions under stress is what makes it so important to be in touch with your internal navigation system. Your body is a very intelligent being and can help you navigate those difficult moments. When your body talks to you, many times it’s ignored because our society is not taught to listen. Have you ever done something that went wrong and you said…” I knew that was going to happen!” why’d you, do it? Because you didn’t listen to that knowing.
When you are in the process of making decisions big or small, you can tune in to your body and see how it feels before you make those big decisions and see how the decision aligns with your values. Does it feel good? Bad? Need to be modified?
When my husband and I had decided to split I had told him that I would wait for him to send me the divorce papers. After all, it was what he wanted. I sat with the inevitability of the situation for a very long time. I was miserable while I waited for him to get things together. During this time, I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep and I was an emotional mess. Then it happened. I was at a friend's house sitting on the patio and it hit me with such overwhelming truth. I started laughing and crying at the same time. I finally KNEW what I had to do. When I went home the following week, I got myself a lawyer and took things into my own hands. We were divorced shortly after.
I felt the truth of this moment so viscerally that I knew it was the right answer and I trusted myself enough to follow through. I realized that I was worth making myself a priority and not letting anyone else control the situation.
Since that experience, I’ve made it a priority to stay in alignment with my values and communicate them as clearly as possible. It works both in professional and personal situations. However, it's important that you put yourself first in all situations so that there is no question about what works for you. There may be negotiation so that it's for the highest good for everyone involved. Just be true to yourself.
Integrity is a cornerstone of being a resilient woman leader. Be clear on your values and your beliefs and be open to them shifting and expanding. Communicate your values with your consistent actions so there is no question of where you stand. And, most importantly meet challenges with compassion and curiosity.