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Presented by Lauren Stibgen

Integrity is a big word in business. It is found in codes of conduct, employee handbooks, and job descriptions as a catch all word. I was curious about how much the word integrity shows up in job descriptions alone. According to ChatGPT, this word appears one to three times in postings for leadership, finance, healthcare, ministry, nonprofit, and executive roles. 

But what does it mean? Those who have been around for a while know I love my Merriam-Webster dictionary as a launching point. According to Merriam-Webster, integrity has three definitions1.

  1. firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values: incorruptibility. 
  2. an unimpaired condition: soundness. 
  3. the quality or state of being complete or undivided: completeness.  

As always, the problem with any dictionary definition is it is open to a wide lens of interpretation. Whose moral code is the right moral code? Surely, we have a legal standard within business laws that are guardrails, but this doesn’t stop people from having a lack of integrity. It just establishes the standard by which we measure a consequence.  

As for an unimpaired condition, we have building codes for this to make sure the structural integrity of a building or a bridge is intact. But again, this can be challenged by builders who skirt the codes to save some money! 

And, what about the state of being complete or undivided? You may hear someone say the opinion written by someone has integrity—meaning the paper is complete. 

The problem with integrity? Sometimes it is high and sometimes it is low. Like the temperature variance here in the Midwest between January and July, integrity can be wildly off! So, how can we distill down?  

In an article entitled “Integrity” from the Harvard Business Review, Karen Christensen interviewed Harvard professor, Michael Jensen who says, “Integrity is a matter of a person’s word—nothing more and nothing less.”2 Like the third definition of being complete or undivided, keeping one’s word is about doing what you say you are going to do. He separates integrity from the concepts of morality and ethics stating morality and ethics are “normative concepts in that they deal with matters of good or bad, right vs. wrong”. For example, as a Christian, I have a normative set of values that are likely held by other Christians. As I noted above, who’s good is good?  

Jensen argues that integrity is key to what he calls workability within an organization. “Without integrity the workability of any object, system, person, group or organization declines; and as workability declines, the opportunity for performance declines.” He states that integrity leads to trust. 

As a follower of Jesus, I am called to a high standard of morals and ethics. How I keep my word following these morals and ethics is where my integrity comes into play. We will all fail to keep our word at various levels. Sometimes, Jensen argues, we even fail to honor our word to ourselves. This could look like failing to go to the gym when we promised to wake up early to work out to something more aggreges like cheating on our spouse when we promised to be faithful. Like I said, various levels. In the Christian vernacular we call this sin—where our word to keep the standards set by our faith isn’t kept. Doing this on repeat makes us seem unreliable, inconsistent and unpredictable according to Jensen. It breaks trust. 

In business, these actions lead to broken workplaces and a true lack of performance. Someone breaks her word and doesn’t show up to a meeting. Someone accepts a supplier known to treat its employees poorly, failing to keep her word to uphold the company’s supply chain ethics. Someone accepts a kickback from a vendor for a referral, breaking her word to honor the company’s code of ethics. 

GE married the concepts of integrity and performance, weaving integrity into every aspect of their culture. They put into place very specific consequences for violating their company’s moral and ethical boundaries especially for leaders who were not holding to the standards. In the Harvard Business Review article, “Avoiding Integrity Land Minds”, the article says, “In no area of corporate life is leadership commitment more important that in creating an integrity culture.”3 They knew if leaders were not walking the talk there were huge implications from the top down for the erosion of integrity in the business. 

But what happens when your company culture doesn’t value integrity or makes you feel like you are unable to keep your integrity as a Christian? What can you do? 

First, what does biblical integrity look like as a Christian? If the matter is as simple as someone’s word, as Jensen argues, I would say Christian integrity founded on God’s Word is anything but simple. It is a difficult standard to meet, especially given our example is Jesus Christ who was perfect in every way. He kept his word. He was consistent even down to the patterns of his life like waking up early to seek God in prayer. He was obedient to God the Father unto death. You see, Jesus kept his word perfectly to God. 

Even our other examples of integrity in the Bible hold a very high standard to keeping one’s word. Think of Abraham. God called for him to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. He kept his word to be obedient to God getting all the way to the altar before God faithfully kept his promise of make Abraham the father of many nations (Genesis 17:5). Or even Daniel. He refused to worship the idol of his king and was sentenced to death in the lions’ den. Daniel kept his word to worship no other God, and God ultimately protected Daniel. 

As I stated earlier, the standard to which we need to keep our word is high. We are to act like Christ when it comes to integrity—keeping his word to God. For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me (John 6:38). 

We are to live to the glory of God no matter what we do (1 Corinthians 10:31), take every thought captive to obey Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5), and not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:2). We are called to put off our old selves, corrupt and deceitful and to put on our new selves which are created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:22-24). 

All of this takes work! Being in God’s Word, spending time in prayer, finding community with other believers, guarding our heart, and repenting when we don’t live up to our word to God are marks of the Christian life. People should see this in you through integrity and consistency, in keeping your word to God to become more like Jesus every day. We are told to put to death whatever belongs to our earthly nature (Colossians 3:5). 

Now, back to our workplace. What happens when we are working in a company which doesn’t value integrity or makes us feel like we can’t keep our word to Christian integrity? The first thing I want to remind you is your workplace is probably not applying the same moral and ethical standard you are when it comes to your faith. Certainly, normal standards are in place, like codes of conduct, standards, and employee handbooks, but even these will never meet the measure of a perfect Jesus. However, when a company is consistently inconsistent, you may be left feeling like you really don’t fit in at all. If a company doesn’t do what they say they will do in the case of a violation or even with someone lacking performance, by Jensen’s definition, the company culture is lacking integrity. 

Keeping in mind that you may be the only light this workplace will ever encounter, I want to suggest some actions you can consider when you feel like your personal integrity and the company’s integrity are not aligned. 

Of course, you may start very practically by having a conversation with your manager or another trusted party within the organization. It is essential to be careful not to cause further disruptions by talking about your opinion with too many people. If you have a trusted colleague, start by asking some probing questions if you aren’t sure if you are alone in your feelings. Something like, “Hey, have you noticed we aren’t paying our bills on time?” or “It seems like XYZ department is constantly hiring new people because there is a lot of turn over. I have heard the manager raise their voice a lot. Have you ever witnessed this?” 

Remember gossip is something we are called to avoid. Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies (Psalm 34:13). 

Letting someone know how the company may consider changes to better the culture and improve trust may be welcomed. Always have specific, factual, and constructive feedback to provide. Complaining is not a solution. 

Of course, if you are asked to do something which lacks integrity big or small you should speak up and let the person know you are not comfortable performing what you are being asked. Again, report this to a manager or higher up in your organization if it was your manager asking you to perform the action. 

If the issues persist or you aren’t taken seriously, you may also consider leaving the company, but what if this is not an easy option for you? You need the work, and despite looking for other positions, you are going to be just where you are for now.  

Remember, even when we don’t feel it, God is working all things for our good and for his glory (Romans 8:28). One of the most difficult things we are called to do, aside from having Christlike integrity, is wait. This can be especially difficult when we find ourselves in a culture that doesn’t fit.  

When the practical and tactical suggestions I mentioned don’t work and we find ourselves in the waiting, we can find strength in abiding closer to the Lord in Christ Jesus. Reading the Bible, memorizing Scripture, praying, and building community are all important and will give you the encouragement you need to hold your integrity. 

Psalm 37 has recently brought me a lot of encouragement through a period of difficulty. I found the verses were giving me some great advice. It says:  

Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong… Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this… Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes (Psalm 37:1, 3-5, 7). 

God doesn’t want me to worry. He wants me to delight in him and trust him. He wants me to commit my ways to him and to be still. Easier said than done when you are feeling challenged in your integrity right? 

Fretting is worrying heavily or being concerned or unhappy about things you cannot control. It happens when we get so wrapped up in these matters it impacts us physically and emotionally. Has stress ever given you a headache or made you cry? Turn your fret into a prayer. Rather than repeating a matter repeatedly in your head, say it out loud to God! He wants to hear from you. These prayers can be simple. 

“God, I don’t feel like my workplace has integrity. Help me Lord to be a light to others around me. Help me Lord to be different, to be a light to others that they might come to know you.” 

Delighting in God can bring encouragement! Think of all the wonderful ways he is working in your life. Think of Jesus and the sacrifice he made for you on the cross. Think of his steadfast love and assurance. Recommit yourself each day to doing God’s work! We are called to make disciples and love others. 

And we can just be still. God promises he will act on our behalf. Reminding myself of these things again helps me not only to be encouraged in my own integrity but also to show this to others. 

How can you hold your word to God today? How can you hold your word to others today? Showing integrity is doing what you say you are going to do with consistency. Write down a few ways you can grow your Christlike integrity today. 

Sources: 

  1. Merriam-Webster, s.v. “integrity,” accessed June 8, 2026, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/integrity.
  2. Michael C. Jensen, “Integrity: Without It Nothing Works,” interview by Karen Christensen, Rotman Magazine, Fall 2009, 16–20.
  3. Ben W. Heineman Jr., “Avoiding Integrity Land Mines,” Harvard Business Review, April 2007, https://hbr.org/2007/04/avoiding-integrity-land-mines.