Honesty (誠, makoto)

The Ronin as all Samurai are committed to serving others, it is their duty and privilege. They are leaders among their people and they are willing to sacrifice themselves to protect them. They are fearless in their battles and are always focused on improving themselves to be prepared for any challenge that might come their way.

They also have a specific code of conduct, a set of values that are most important. It’s called Bushidō (武士道, "the way of warriors") and it’s typified by eight virtues. One of them is:

Honesty (誠, makoto)

When warriors say that they will perform an action, it is as good as done. Nothing will stop them from completing what they say they will do. They do not have to 'give their word'. They do not have to 'promise'. Speaking and doing are the same action.

People who are willing to take on themselves the responsibility for others need to be effective. Their promises need to be kept and reflected in their actions. Leaders, just like warriors, face many challenges and conflicts – it can be related to different interests, or it might be a changing circumstances that makes succeeding hard or even impossible. But even then, you should do whatever you can to uphold your commitments as much as you can, as that will determine the worth of your words in the future. You are constantly judged by your surroundings by what you represent, speak and most importantly how you act and what you achieve. Your effectiveness in doing what you promise is fundamental in establishing your position in any group you operate.

It will be a balancing act, at least at times, between fulfilling your duties, reaching the goals and being accountable to your people. But can you really be effective all on your own? Maybe, but most likely you will need to depend on others. Hence, relationships need to be built, coalitions formed and bridges forged. One of the key components of all of them is your integrity, as it will determine how successful you will be in building those relationships. It will come out in the most difficult times, when your bonds will be tested, just like before going into battle. When it's the time to stand together in order to overcome the challenge. Nobody wants to follow a Leader that’s not consistent in their decisions and behaviors, because there’s an obvious lack of trust. And that will surely result in defeat. And integrity is what can save you, because even if people will not like some of your decisions, eventually they will respect you and regard you as a person for whom speaking and doing are the same actions.

In general people will know if you are honest and genuine. We are all human beings, so whatever your relationship is with a person – a client, customer, peer or a team member – if you will just speak “corporate talk” you will be seen as just a person mouthing the words and not being truthful in your behavior. People that interact with you will know if you are being real and authentic. And authenticity can be the greatest competitive edge for you and your organization. It will ignite the human connection. Without it you cannot truly lead others. It will open you to vulnerability but the upside is that it will build unity around you. Great Leaders show their humanness, dropping their guard and standing alongside those being led. Being authentic creates room for others to do the same. Leadership is best delivered by modeling what you seek from others. At the end it will transform your world perspective. When you no longer need to hide behind what others want you to be, say, or do, you put aside falseness and lies and open up to a world of endless and positive opportunities. You should try it, and follow this path to really see and experience these rewards.

“People are only as good as their words” – this old saying is suitable for nearly every situation, when theirs people interaction involved. No matter if it’s personal or business. It doesn’t matter if it’s a time of peace or its wartime. We need to remember that, as Leaders we are expected to be effective in fulfilling our duties. But you can do that in many different ways. And depending on how you will go about it will determine what kind of relationships you will build along the way. To be a great Leader you should do it with honesty. So have integrity and be authentic in your actions and Lead Like a Samurai!

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