Integrity Matters

During the last two weeks – which have been particularly challenging for me from a business perspective – I have revisited the writings of Clayton Christensen. It was an exercise much like how other people consult their Bibles.

One of Clayton’s seminal writings that I have reread many times is entitled, “How to live a life of integrity.” One key takeaway from this article that’s so true and valuable to remember is:

It’s easier to hold true to your principles 100% of the time than it is to hold to them 98% of the time.

He says that you’ll regret where you end up if you give in “just this once”. In business school terms, this is a marginal cost analysis.

Clayton goes on to say that you define yourself by what you stand for, and that it’s critically important to draw the line in the right place.

We’re all living and working in the age of too far, with the Covid pandemic still ongoing, inflation returning, thousands of tech workers being laid-off, baby formula in short supply (can you image?), a dust bowl in the mid-West, and startups under great financial strain.

It’s important to remember – and never forget – that one must live by the adage that integrity matters.

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