It doesn't matter if we are trying to improve safety, quality of life, or the economy, one thing that is required in all situations is integrity. This sounds a little like ranting about a trivial event but, while I talked to my son, Paul, yesterday he explained why he was unable to answer my phone calls.

Paul is 26 and on his own working for a major corporation as a database manager. Many of my clients know him because he has worked in our company over the past years. When he didn't answer, I was concerned that he didn't return my call as he usually does.

But, he couldn't because of the lack of integrity of others.

While having dinner the other night with friends at a local restaurant, he inadvertently left his iPhone on the table. When he returned to the restaurant a little later to see if it had been turned in, the manager said that it had not. Big surprise?

We live in a world where many people lack integrity. This is not a new issue in human history, but don't we want to be better?

One definition of integrity is "Doing the right thing when nobody is looking or when nobody will know". It is my experience that those who take something that is not theirs or that they have not worked for seem to never have enough money, time, or happiness. People without integrity are always looking over their shoulders, concerned that someone may take something from them… imagine that.

Martin Luther King said: "It is always the right time to do the right thing." In a world of tough economic times, terrorists that live to strike fear into the hearts of others, and those who don't respect the property of others, wouldn't it be great if everyone took just a little more responsibility?

Responsibility is something I talk about in all my safety presentations because it is crucial to success. Michael Korda said: "Success on any major scale requires you to take responsibility… in the final analysis, the one quality that all successful people have… is the ability to take on responsibility."

If you want success, learn to take responsibility.

To learn responsibility, practice integrity.

To work safe, we must practice integrity. Just a few hours before writing this article, I was driving to town. A driver passed me because, well -- I can only surmise that I was not going fast enough, although I was driving the speed limit. He must have been in a hurry because after passing me he passed the next two vehicles as well. You might think There he goes, the picky safety guy! But, he passed both times in a no-passing zone.

Recently, a group of Amish farmers were touring farms in New York to learn ways that they can improve their crop production. A driver following a slow-moving farm tractor decided to pass in the no-passing zone, hitting the van carrying the Amish farmers. The van was subsequently run over by the tractor, killing several passengers instantly. Integrity means following established safety practices when operating a vehicle on the road. In this case, a lack of integrity affected several families.

Sadly, these families cannot recover their lost loved ones. My son Paul will get himself another iPhone, Android or whatever phone techie-type people use. He'll take responsibility because he went to college and got a degree while working two, and occasionally three, jobs and can now afford to buy another one.

The person who is walking around with Paul's phone may brag about heisting the phone, but will also cause others to wonder what will be taken next; trust will be eroded between the "heister" and those close to this person.

This week, do your best to take responsibility, and act with integrity. Life will improve -- and you're more likely to go home from work uninjured, too.

Thanks for allowing my rant!

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