Without integrity, what do you have? Having a well-grounded set of principles and sticking to them demonstrates to the world — perhaps more importantly, shows you — what you are made of.
If you have no moral compass, you can’t be trusted. And trust is the foundation of every relationship.
“If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don’t have integrity, nothing else matters.” — Sen. Alan Simpson
This is one aspect of leadership where you get ZERO redos. It only takes one tiny episode where you demonstrate a lack of integrity and that's how everyone remembers you. And that's how it should be.
That's where I keep returning. Ethics matter a lot in a historical context but lots of people look only at current trends or staying safe from maga threats themselves. It's important to at least *try* to consider how your allegiance looks from the distant future.