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From Joe Riley, Phoenix Council Board Member – Written by: McKinlee Covey

In May of 2005, Andy Roddick, one of the top tennis players in the world at the time, was a favorite to win the Italian Masters tournament. Early on, Roddick’s skill was on full display: He beat his opponent Fernando Verdasco in the first set. He was winning the next set too; on the match point, the referee called Verdasco’s second serve as out and declared Roddick the winner. The crowd cheered.

However, Roddick looked closely at the mark on the court where the serve had been called out and did not believe the call was correct. Under no formal obligation to tell the truth, Roddick informed the referee of the perceived error and asked for the point to be replayed. He returned to his side of the net, ready to play on, only wanting to win if the victory was fair and square. Verdasco won the replayed point, and then the match. A breath away from victory, Roddick lost in an upset, going from being a tournament favorite to an early elimination.

Although Roddick lost his shot at the big prize that day, he gained something arguably more valuable—he cemented his reputation as a man of integrity. In a single moment, he demonstrated the strength of his character for posterity and inspired fans with his commitment to honesty. Future opponents and referees alike could rest assured: here was a trustworthy sportsman.

Even if we’ve never participated in a high-stakes sporting event on the world stage, many of us can relate to this story. We’ve all faced moments of choice when we are called to do the right thing even if it carries consequences.  Each of these moments is an opportunity for us to show who we truly are—both as a leader and as a person.

In life and leadership, it takes courage to do the right thing and discipline to do so consistently. When we act with both courage and discipline, we develop our integrity and become leaders worth following.

Integrity Is Foundational to Leadership

Doug Conant wrote that integrity is “foundational and mandatory to leadership.” Too often, we get lost in the weeds when thinking about leadership, creating long lists of what a good leader needs to do. Or we conflate good leadership with being charming and bold. But at the end of the day, leadership begins and ends with a simple premise: Are you a person of your word?

Research shows that most employees rank trust in their bosses as the most essential component for workplace satisfaction. When people feel that they can trust their leaders they perform better, are more innovative and engaged, and experience less stress and burnout. Meanwhile, low-trust organizations experience the opposite effects.

So how can leaders embody integrity and build trust? Integrity is all about aligning your personal thoughts and actions with your public persona. Who you are in private and who you are in public must connect.

Dr. Stephen R. Covey said, “Moral authority comes from following universal and timeless principles like honesty, integrity, and treating people with respect.” We cannot fake, coerce, or pay our way to moral authority—it must be earned through our daily interactions and behaviors. Employees and colleagues alike are attuned to your leadership actions; they want to know that what you say matches up with what you do and who you are.

When we make integrity part of our leadership foundation, all our other qualities are on solid ground. And with trust as our bedrock, our organizations can thrive. Here are four practices that will help you move towards integrity in your leadership behaviors. 

1. Start with Yourself – Make It a Habit

Are some people more predisposed to acting with integrity? Perhaps. But it doesn’t matter. Whether or not you were born with a strong moral compass or were raised a certain way, anyone can lead a life of integrity. Integrity is a choice. But it isn’t a spur of the moment decision; like any competency, it is honed over time.

It’s doubtful that Roddick’s choice to be truthful at the Italian Masters was an outlier or whim; it’s more likely it was part of a decision pattern. At some point he decided to play honestly no matter what, and then he matched his behavior to that decision in moments small and large. Each of us can do the same. You can say today that you want to live with integrity and then commit to the principle, practicing in more and more moments over time.

When you practice making the right decisions consistently, eventually it becomes a habit. Dr. Covey researched and wrote about this extensively, explaining that integrity starts with keeping commitments to ourselves. He wrote: “As we make and keep commitments, even small commitments, we begin to establish an inner integrity that gives us the awareness of self-control, and the courage and strength to accept more of the responsibility for our own lives. By making and keeping promises to ourselves and others, little by little, our honor becomes greater than our moods.”

This process starts small, but it yields large and long-lasting results. First, integrity becomes a habit and then an essential part of who you are. The more you do it, the more natural it becomes, creating a virtuous cycle of momentum that strengthens your resolve to keep doing what is right, especially in difficult situations.

As novelist Mary Ann Evans writing under the pen name George Eliot once said, “Our deeds determine us, as much as we determine our deeds.” 

2. Declare Your Intent

It’s important to remember that the people you work with are not mind readers. If you want people to know what you stand for, what you believe in, and what guides your decisions, you have to tell them. Otherwise, how will they know what to measure your actions against?

Lack of clarity often leads to miscommunication, unmet expectations, frustration, poor results, and lagging collaboration. So, one of the first steps to leading with integrity is a practice Doug Conant calls, “Declaring Yourself.” He describes it this way: “The first hour of the first day I work with someone, I declare myself. I set aside an hour for a one-on-one meeting aimed at removing the mystery from our working relationship.  Rather that unproductively spending the first few months working together trying to indirectly figure out what to expect from one another — I have found it to be much more productive to take the issue head on. Then, we can constructively focus on the challenges at hand as quickly as possible.”

At the end of the hour he says, “I just spent an hour sharing with you the way I intend to behave and some of the motivation for that behavior. If I do what I say I will do, I guess that means you can trust me. If I don’t, I guess that means you can’t.”

Declaring yourself lays the groundwork to earn people’s trust by first extending trust. You’re inviting people to get to know you, but also to hold you accountable to what you say. This is an exercise in vulnerability, and may feel uncomfortable, but it is highly effective. We must first communicate our intent in order to demonstrate integrity and build trust. 

3. Do What You Say

The saying goes that “talk is cheap.” And it’s often true, but it doesn’t have to be. After you’ve declared yourself, it’s time to back up your word with your actions. When you do what you say, your talk is no longer cheapened—it becomes a treasure.

Doug Conant wrote that leading with integrity means, “always consciously acting with the knowledge that others are relying on us to embody our shared values with our words and deeds.” He says that words and actions are equally important; they go hand in hand. Talk without action breeds mistrust.

To grow your credibility and to create what Doug calls, “a profound reservoir of trust and belief in your ability,” you must walk your talk. How? Here are a few best practices:

• Prioritize your time according to your values
• Own your mistakes & share your successes
• Ask for and implement feedback
• See each interaction as an opportunity to match your actions to your words 

4. Be Consistent – in Public and in Private

Oprah Winfrey said, “Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody’s going to know whether you did it or not.” Her words hold an important lesson for leaders: One of the truest tests of our integrity is our consistency—with or without an audience.

To fulfill the commitment to yourself that helps build your integrity habit, it’s crucial to uphold your values and ideals even when people aren’t watching. Dr. Covey called this, “being loyal to the absent,” and it’s a way to show respect to everyone in your organization, as well as to yourself.

Start to think with more intention about each moment of choice in your day–even the ones that people don’t see. Small moments matter. When can you step closer to your declared values? Maybe it means prioritizing purpose over profit, apologizing for a misstep, stifling your instinct to jump in before you’ve listened, or taking time to thank an employee for their contributions.

There are infinite opportunities to practice your integrity habit in any given day.  The more consistent and loyal you are to your principles, the more consistency and loyalty you earn from your constituents. 

5. Integrity Inspires

As we lead with integrity, we earn moral authority, increase trust within our organizations—and most of all, we inspire others. Inspiration is powerful. Research shows that employees are inspired by leaders who commit to their values and that, “the ability to inspire creates the highest levels of employee engagement and commitment.”  

As we lead with integrity, we earn moral authority, increase trust within our organizations—and most of all, we inspire others. Inspiration is powerful. Research shows that employees are inspired by leaders who commit to their values and that, “the ability to inspire creates the highest levels of employee engagement and commitment.”

As you model integrity, declare your intent, do what you say, and practice consistency, you will inspire others to greatness.

About the Author: McKinlee Covey is an educator, coach, and co-author with Stephen M.R. Covey of the WSJ bestseller, Trust & Inspire.  This article appeared in BoardSource in January 2023.

From Joe Riley, Phoenix Council Board Member – (Excerpted from Vincentian Life: Conference)

Retaining Your Members – Part Two

• Involve your regular donors.  Regular donors are equal partners in the Society.  We are a union of willing hands (Active Members), caring hearts and helping hands (Associate Members) and generous almsgivers (regular donors).  Each is separate but equal.
  • Many people are afraid to participate, afraid to meet the poor.  They choose to discharge their responsibility to help the poor by writing you a check.  While you may need their check to help the poor, your objective should be to tactfully get them involved in person-to-person contact with those in need.  Let them find out it’s not stressful when working with another, experienced parishioner.  Help them find how it gives them a warm and fuzzy feeling.
  • Get them into home visits the easy way – with the Back-to-School program, Thanksgiving or Christmas food box distributions that some Conferences put together.
  • Include regular donors in as many activities as you can, especially Masses on feast days of St. Vincent and Blessed Frederic, food and clothing drives, etc.  Send all major communications and newsletters to them.  This can sometimes convert them to Associate and then Active Full Membership. 

• Provide recognition.  In the business workplace, when someone asks the question, “what do you want from your boss in your job,” the two top answers are always security and recognition.
  • Recognize long-time members (at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 year and other anniver­saries), those who continue to be active past the age of 80, and all retiring members.
  • Recognize your pastor, priests, deacons and nuns who provide help and support for your programs and/or your Conference.  We sometimes forget who pays the electric bill for our pantry.
  • Conduct a “graduation ceremony” when a member completes the Ozanam Orientation.  Recognize them in front of the entire Conference at your next meeting.
  • Use a star or other special character on your Conference membership list to indicate members who have completed the Ozanam Orientation.
  • Prepare and publish a list of Conference officers over past years.  List all Vincentians who made the Quarter-Century Club.
  • Put up a plaque in your pantry with the names of Vincentians who passed to their eternal reward while serving the poor.  Add a new name plate each time a member dies, conducting a short prayer service.

• Recognize the need for recovery and recuperation.  Occasionally a member may become dissatisfied or bored with their present assignment.  Others may get tired (especially your oldest members) and a few may experience burn-out.  Remember that a person’s family and job come first according to the Society’s own Rule.  Recognize these folks and thank them for the work they have accomplished and show them how their involvement has helped the people the Conference served as well as our Society.  Ask them for input on the manner in which you conduct your meetings and make assignments.  They may have a different perspective and help you to improve Conference operations.  After positively dealing with the situation they find themselves in, discuss other positions which may be more attractive to them.  Everyone in your Conference will get tired of the “same old thing,” so keep trying new projects and changing (improving) old programs.  The attitude “but we’ve always done it that way” will only ensure that your Conference remains a handful of old men and women, as you drive away new and younger people and burn out older ones.  A perception that an organization is dying is the number one reason why people leave or fail to join an organization.  The vibrant Conference will keep existing members and attract new members. 

• Work on (and pray over) personality conflicts.  Personality conflicts are inevitable in any group of humans.  Yet, if these are not managed, they will cause you to lose at least one of the two protagonists.  The President and Spiritual Advisor should try to help resolve any issues between the warring partners. It may be necessary to separate these people until, over time, they get to better know (and respect) each other in new ways.  Change home visit teams, schedule the Hatfields in at times when the McCoys aren’t there.  Time heals all wounds; give it a chance.  And pray that the Peace of Christ descends on both of them.

• Equip your people to do their job.
  • Information.  Your Conference does more than pass out food and money; you provide information which is often essential for guests to get back on their feet.  Your members must have that information to do their job. 
  • Publish a year’s Calendar so Active Members, Associate Members and regular donors, as well as your clergy, Parish Council and other church ministries, know what the Conference is planning and when.  This helps prevent conflicts, helps people reserve dates when you need their participation, and helps communicate the breadth of your Conference work.
  • Adopt and communicate Conference Policies and Guidelines.  Home-visit teams especially must know what latitude they have when working with a family in trouble.  Nothing is more frustrating than having the responsibility for a case without the authority required to act.  Home-visit teams should know one of three conditions exist when they visit:

1. 1. 1.  They cannot help a family financially with rent due to lack of funds, and must help in other ways – referrals, information, counseling, extra food, etc.
      2.  They cannot help a family with rent without the approval of the Conference which meets sometimes down the road.
      3.  They can help a family with rent up to “X” dollars without further approval – beyond that amount, Conference approval is required.

• • Necessary referral forms and vouchers (for clothing, gasoline, groceries, furniture) should be available and members instructed on how to properly complete them.  The Conference pays its bills faithfully and promptly, so vouchers given to guests are honored by thrift stores and other vendors.

• Recognize the value of Fellowship and Friendship.  Don’t forget to schedule social events.  The Society’s second objective requires a friendship relationship among members.  People are social beings, and personal relationships help cement one’s commitment to the common work.  Sometimes this can be combined with retraining (below).

• Retraining.  Retraining should occur periodically.  We all need to be reminded of basic job duties, of things that have become more important in recent years, and of how to handle new forms, procedures and program changes.  Older members not kept up to date can feel “lost” and out of touch.  Get all your folks together for refresher training at least every six months.  A good way of handling this is to schedule a social activity and combine the two.  A summer barbecue can involve socializing and eating, followed by a 90-minute refresher course, or vice versa.

• Never forget Spirituality.  People joined the Society of St. Vincent de Paul – not the American Cancer Society, or the United Way, or the Red Cross.  What separates the Society from these very worthwhile organizations is the fact that we are a faith-based organization; we bring spiritual values to the people we serve.  Burn-out is common after a relatively short time in most other volunteer agencies because the members don’t have a belief system to sustain them.  We can always fall back on our faith.  That is the reason we have members well into their 80’s and even 90’s who have been serving in the dining rooms, stores and other special works for more than 50 years.  Whether old or new, your members have a “thirst” for spirituality.  They need to be reminded of the spiritual aspects of their work.  If you only talk about the “numbers” – boxes delivered, money raised, families visited, hours worked – you will find members losing focus.  Even in the very best Conferences, teams experience discouraging cases.  They “get taken” by fraudulent couples. And, after a series of thankless guests, greedy applicants, lazy individuals and indifferent bureaucrats, those without a spiritual foundation will be “lost” to despair and discouragement.  Our spirituality is our anchor.  Keep it present at all times.  First things first.  Never become a Conference of just “numbers.”

From Joe Riley, Phoenix Council Board Member – (Excerpted from Vincentian Life: Conference)

Retaining Your Members – Part One

 We have noted several times in this Manual that progress takes time and patience.  Gaining new members, increasing contributions, attaining spiritual maturity, and developing a network of relationships happen only slowly, over time.  Once you have made that commitment in effort and prayer, would it not be a shame to lose what you worked so hard to build?

You retain people by helping them do things that warm their hearts and enrich their souls.  Then they will make the personal commitment to continue.

An important point to remember is that a happy, dedicated member is one who knows what is expected and also knows how and why what he/she does is important to the Society and those in need.  The heart of retention is the long-range feeling that the Society and its works are individually fulfilling.

NEW MEMBERS

Gaining a new member is like finding a diamond in the slag at the Kimberly mines.  You have no idea of its real value until you chip away the exterior to reveal its inner composition (get to know her/him), and spend time polishing its surface (provide training, motivation and direction).  A hesitant retired accountant could become your most dynamic home visit team member, engaging even the most cynical of guests in fervent prayer.  A quiet young parishioner may have the potential to be your successor as Conference president.

How do you retain these diamonds in the rough?

1.  Assign them a mentor. Assign them someone who will work with them for a while — at least four to six months.  Preferably an experienced Vincentian of the same sex.  To be considered for the role of mentor, a member should be well experienced in the Society (it would be wrong here to define a number of years of experience), have participated in sufficient number of home visits to have experienced a wide variety of circumstances, and has attended the Ozanam Orientation.
2. Assign them something to do right away, even if it appears trivial, like organizing the shelves in your pantry. Explain how it is important to your overall work (you must meet the health code or risk the loss of your pantry) and that you will be moving them to other, more important work soon.
3. Assign them a meaningful responsibility quickly. Don’t break your promise from the above item.  Give them something important to do, preferably home visits with an experienced Vincentian.
4. Provide them with training (local) as soon as possible for specialized positions (answering the phone, packing food boxes, picking up bread).  Team them up with an experienced Vincentian for home visits or food delivery.  People learn best from observing others.
5. Get them into Ozanam Orientation training within 3 months.  Never send them alone; send them with someone they know.  Anxiety and confusion run high among new members; having a friend with you helps clear away those bottlenecks to participation and development.
6. Help them feel they are members of a big family. Invite, but don’t force, them to interesting District Council and/or Diocesan Council   Offer to pick them up and drive them to the first couple functions; encourage the creation of carpools to take groups of members to functions.  Mix new members with old-timers whenever possible.  It gives confidence to the newcomers and new vitality to older Vincentians.
7. Don’t exclude non-Catholics. We are an organization which is “Catholic in character.”  Anyone who shares the objectives of the Society is eligible to join.  A real measure of your effectiveness is when non-Catholics join, perceiving that SVdP is not only an effective organization serving the poor, but a means of living out the tenants of their Christian (or monotheistic) faith.  Recent Popes have all stressed our obligation to practice ecumenism; let’s not drop the ball in the field.

Next, consider the suggestions, below, for existing members.

EXISTING MEMBERS

Yes, new members are essential for growth, vitality and the future.  But existing members are your backbone, source of experience, the people who will guide and mentor the newcomers.  They need your attention too.

Keep your members busy.  More members drop out because they don’t think they’re needed than because they’re overworked.  Keep them busy.  Get them involved in the whole picture.  Let them know what’s going on, locally, at the District Council/Diocesan Council level, even nationally.  Get someone to handle the “telephone tree” and make sure everyone gets a call when help is needed.  Even if someone says “sorry” again and again, don’t give up on getting them involved – keep calling.

Form committees and ask everyone to serve on at least one and, hopefully, two.  Good ones are:

• Information and Referral — Keep the material in your Information and Referral Manual (Sources of Assistance) complete and up to date.
• Food Procurement — Track what food is available at food bank and at alternate food sources; how and when your monthly allotment and other food supplies will be picked up, unloaded, and shelved.
• Food Processing — Arrange for vouchers for milk, bread, fresh fruits and produce; repackage laundry detergent, and odd items the Conference receives in bulk.
• Furniture Registry — Establish and maintain a list of donated, used furniture available from parishioners for guests when needed.  Try to arrange for temporary storage.  Match up with requests from guests.
• Food Pantry — Keep the pantry clean and the shelves stocked.  Some Conferences pre-pack food boxes by size of family.
• Social Events— Arrange potluck dinners, outings, parties, etc., for all members spaced throughout the year.
• Spirituality — Make a calendar for the year with plans for the religious days related to our Society. Coordinate activities with neighboring Conferences.
• Communications— make sure the arish bulletin has an item about SVdP every week, or the bulletin board has a display, or the newsletter is properly prepared for bulk-rate mailing.
• Correspondence — handle the correspondence of the Conference, communicating with other parish groups, sending get well and condolence cards, thank you notes to contributors, etc.
• Projects or Events Committees: Back to School, Postal Food Drive, Roses for Life, Boy Scout Food Drive, Christmas Gift and Food Basket, etc.

Encourage continuing education.  A person never stops learning.  The Diocesan Council can provide you with many ideas and resources for spiritual growth and Vincentian development for your members.  Included are:

*  The Ozanam Orientation provides basic orientation and essential background and is obligatory for new members and those serving as officers.  This one-day workshop includes SVdP history, spirituality, philosophy, organization, activities, home visits, etc.  Even experienced members have found this program very beneficial.

*  Serving in Hope has seven modules with multiple lessons in each. Modules include: Our Vincentian Vocation, Our Vincentian Spirituality, Our Vincentian Heritage, Our Vincentian Mission, Our Vincentian Rule, Our Vincentian Conference and the Home Visit.  Each lesson contains study, reflection, and small group discussion.  The formation guides and videos can be ordered from the National Council office.

*   Voice of the Poor.  This educational guide on advocacy is available through the National Council office.

*   Diversity.  “A Vincentian Guide to Diversity/Multicultural Issues” is available through the National Council office.

*   Attend Home Visit Training, Spiritual Advisor Training

*   Attend Retreats, Region Meetings

Be cautious about discouraging members from moving away from being actively involved.  People’s lives change, sometimes often and at inconvenient times.  Women get pregnant and have babies and their lives take difficult turns.  Adults find a parent has Alzheimer’s or a child has ALS.  Members who are actively involved who must ‘withdraw’ or ‘take time off’ should never be made to feel ‘guilty’ about the change.

Vincentians who leave active service on a positive note are more likely to return when their lives change again and/or to continue to help out in other ways (financially, volunteering for special projects, etc.).

Build the role of Associate Membership.  Continued participation of the Vincentian, in any role, is the key to eventually getting the person back into an active role.