Integrity is defined as, "the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles and uprightness." Integrity is something I have been contemplating on quite a bit lately. At times, it may seem, that fewer people have integrity. I have walked onto business locations to meet new employees, and within a few weeks, those new employees are fired or left due to integrity violations.

As a business owner, I will look at myself before I make a decision in firing someone. If it is an integrity issue, such as multiple excuses for being tardy or late, I will see if I set the example in this behavior. But, because of my previous military background I am usually early or right on time.

Besides consistent tardiness to report in to work, employees can lack integrity with how they use company time. Too many people are spending too much time on social media during work hours. If we are on company time, we need to not be on social media, unless it's allowed on break.

One study shows that within the United States, calculating all the time employees spend on social media during work hours, it's a loss of $15 billion. The study shows that up to 8 hours a week at work is spent not working, but instead employees are on social media, playing mobile games, using apps on cell phones and shopping online. Unless our company allows this behavior, we are wasting money for the company we work for and lacking integrity

Proverbs 10:9 (NIV) says, "People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will slip and fall." We can learn a lot from the Word of God and apply its values to our lives and business dealings. It is amazing that people from thousands of years ago understood this principle!

We need to be people of integrity by doing what we say we will do and being productive within our roles at work. But we also need to surround ourselves with like-minded people.

Who we as leaders surround ourselves with determines the productivity of our company. People lacking integrity lower productivity. And if people lack integrity, I can't surround myself with them or make excuses for them.

Also, if I continue doing business with people lacking integrity, I will lose business. Other companies will contract elsewhere because of those with whom we surround ourselves. . And word will spread that we lack integrity. If this happens, we will find ourselves in the unemployment line quickly. But if we walk with integrity, we will walk safely and benefit with promotions.

Jared Laskey, M.Div., M.A. Christian Ministry, is founder and senior pastor of Destiny Church in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He lives to see Jesus awaken this generation to the power of the Holy Spirit. You can follow him on Twitter @jaredalaskey and purchase his co-authored book Veronica's Hero. You can also subscribe to his podcast and check out firebornministries.org

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