Warren Buffett, American business magnate, investor and philanthropist, once said, “In looking for people to hire, look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence, and energy. And if they don’t have the first one, the other two will kill you.”
As one of the world’s most influential people, Buffett considers integrity to be a vital quality for a businessperson to hold. He feels that a person’s dishonesty will eventually catch up with them. It may not be today and it may not be for many years, but you can be rest assured that at some point it will surface.
Let’s break down just what integrity is
Acting with integrity is a key part of achieving success in BNI. Integrity means doing the right thing at all times and in all circumstances, whether or not anyone is watching. It takes having the courage to do the right thing, no matter what the consequences will be.
Integrity isn’t talked about nearly enough these days. Sometimes the focus can be all on “the end justifies the means” which can become an acceptable school of thought. People committing acts of dishonesty often tell themselves they had a perfectly valid reason why the end result justified their lack of integrity.
Yet people still highly value integrity and trustworthiness in business and in life.
In the recent general election “who can you trust” became a vital part of which party people were willing to vote for. The truth is, building a reputation of integrity takes years, but it takes only a second to lose. That’s why you should never allow yourself to do anything that would damage your integrity.
Why is integrity important in BNI?
Acting with integrity is vital in BNI, especially for:
- Giving and getting referrals
- Dealing with other members in meetings
- Conducting dances with your chapter members
As BNI founder Ivan Misner himself has noted:
“In word-of-mouth (or referral) marketing, your integrity and your reputation are on the line all the time. In the referral process, you’re continually transparent; you’ve got to do what you say you’re going to do. You’ve got to be professional. Any flaw in your integrity becomes instantly visible to everyone you’re dealing with.”
Integrity should be the basic building block for doing business in BNI: Nobody wants to get involved with a business that doesn’t deliver its best to its customers. Integrity should be a given and you should treat it as the most important quality to hold for all your dealings at BNI.
