Leadership
Integrity and character
Integrity: Dependability, Honesty, Trust, Fairness, Responsibility.
Character: Trustworthiness, Respect, Fairness, Citizenship, Courage.
My observation of the top 1%? There is a distinct difference: Character has a range of values whereas integrity is uncompromising.
Why the Difference Matters
Character can grow. We work on it, stretch it and build it over time, often through hard things. Integrity doesn’t flex. You either keep your word or you don’t.
In real estate, integrity shows up in small moments: returning the call you said you’d return, disclosing what needs to be disclosed, telling a seller the truth about price even when it might cost you the listing.
Questions for Leaders
- Do your agents see you keep commitments when it’s inconvenient?
- Do you hold top producers to the same standards as everyone else?
- When you make a mistake, do you own it out loud?
Building It Into the Culture
Integrity spreads, and so does the lack of it. A few ways leaders make it part of the office:
- Put expectations in writing. Agents can’t meet a standard they’ve never seen.
- Address issues early and privately. Small compromises left alone become the culture.
- Recognize the right behavior. Call out the agent who told a seller a hard truth, not only the one who closed the biggest deal.
- Hire for it. In recruiting conversations, ask about a time the candidate chose the harder right over the easier wrong, and listen closely.
Your team can forgive a lot. It’s hard to follow a leader whose word can’t be trusted.
Framework: This post is part of Action Produces Data, the coaching framework for consistent production: take the next right action, track it and let the results, not opinions, guide what you do next.
Want help applying this in your brokerage? Book a 30-minute conversation with Mark at calendly.com/mjsession.
