Leading with Integrity: Why the Best Leaders are Models of Values

The core insight is simple: the leaders who score highest in 360-degree feedback are those who act as unwavering models of integrity and values. Hagberg Consulting's study of nearly two thousand executives found that consistency between words and actions, ethical decision-making, and accountability are not nice-to-have traits-they are the foundation of sustainable high performance.

Integrity shows up as walking the talk, owning mistakes, and refusing shortcuts even when short-term gains are tempting. Howard Schultz's tenure at Starbucks illustrates this; he pushed ethical sourcing, extended health benefits to part-time staff, and built a brand people trusted because his actions matched his stated values.

Values act as a decision-making compass. When leaders like Brian Chesky at Airbnb offered generous severance and career support during the pandemic, they reinforced the company's core principles and preserved its reputation. Paul Polman's sustainability focus at Unilever and Satya Nadella's empathy-driven culture shift at Microsoft demonstrate how aligning personal and organizational values boosts morale, productivity, and even financial results.

The opposite side-loss of integrity-produces catastrophic failures. The Enron accounting fraud and Theranos's deception are stark reminders that compromised values can destroy companies, ruin reputations, and erode stakeholder trust.

Practical steps emerge from the research: clarify personal and company values, lead by example, communicate decisions transparently, own mistakes, solicit regular feedback, embed values into processes, and use ethical lenses for every choice. By habitually modeling integrity, leaders build lasting trust and a ripple effect that elevates entire organizations.