Integrity
: firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values:
I wasn't always mature enough to believe in the importance of integrity, but upon joining the workforce, I quickly learned it's importance.
Lapses in integrity can put people's business, or life's work, at risk.
I believe integrity is much more than just telling the truth - it's something that has to be the guiding principle for every action I take.
It means staying true to myself and my values. It means being forthcoming with prospective clients when something is out of my scope.
It means living life in a way that I will be proud of on my last living day.
Money and material things are nice, but that comfort may be the last thing I have.
I try to approach every situation with the best interests of everyone in mind.
When I do come up short, I admit to it, plus do what I can repair the situation.
Performance
: the fulfillment of a claim, promise, or request:
Performance is essential in all areas of life, but especially in business.
The free market should dictate that the best ideas and performers win.
If someone is hiring me for any of the services I provide, it's a commitment I take very seriously.
It means doing whatever it takes to accomplish agreed to goals, so long as I do not have to sacrifice my integrity to do so.
This has often meant working off hours, or weekends, missing fun trips, and more.
None of those things are more important than the commitment made when I sign on a new client.
I try to respect the faith and confidence placed in me by colleagues.
If someone is counting on me to come through, I take pride in delivering.
Loyalty
This definition came from the Merriam-Webster Thesaurus, but I find it suits my outlook on life and business very well (the dictionary definition was lacking).
Loyalty means not abandoning people that have done right by you, even when times are tough.
It means going out of your way for others, especially when it isn't personally convenient.
It means standing by people who may not have made all the right decisions, because you know people are better than their worst moments.
To me it means when I make a commitment, I do whatever I can to fulfill that commitment, unless it puts me at risk of sacrificing any of my other core values.
You don't have to take my word for it when it comes to loyalty.
Go check my LinkedIn and you will see many people that recommend me for exactly this reason.
Discipline
:training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character:
I was not always a disciplined person.
In fact, through my early 20's I was probably one of the least disciplined in many ways.
It wasn't until I had my first sales team that I became a disciplined person
There is no way you can act with integrity and tell people to be disciplined in their training if you are not adhering to a firm code of discipline yourself.
This means keeping commitments to myself, some of which I seriously dislike, because I committed to them and for no other reason.
Being disciplined allows others to count on you when they need you most.
From my experience, that is usually the same time they are reaching out to me for assistance in reaching their goals.
Because of this, my commitment to myself and others is to remain disciplined as a person, whether I enjoy all of it or not.
I do this for one simple reason: the world deserves the best from me, and so do I.
