Having integrity is not a “sometimes” thing; you either have it or you don’t. My father used to tell me that. But your integrity gets tested many times in life. This is one of the toughest times I ever had trying to maintain my personal integrity.
Having integrity is not a ‘sometimes’ thing; you either have it or you don’t.I was an assistant coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers and we were playing the Denver Broncos in a big football game. A technician from one of the television stations told me about a trick play the Broncos were going to run. He happened to see the team run it during practice. I knew this was not the way I was supposed to get information, but that information definitely could help us win the game.
I struggled with whether I should tell my defensive players, but I decided I couldn’t do it because I didn’t get the information the right way. As the story would unfold, the play happened just after my friend told me. A certain player came in the game and threw a halfback pass for a touchdown. I felt terrible that I hadn’t alerted my players, but I also felt like I did the right thing. And we came back to win the game anyway. That showed me that doing things the right way would get rewarded.
Sound off: How has your integrity been tested?
Huddle up with your kids and ask, “Why do you think it’s important to have integrity?”