Integrity

My friend and mentor, Michael Jensen defines “integrity” as what it takes for a person to be whole and complete in that they honor their word.  Honoring one’s word means keeping our word, and on time; or as soon as we know that we won’t keep our word, we inform all parties counting on us to keep our word and clean up any mess that we’ve caused in their lives.

In 2017 I gave my word to present a leadership course to 1000 women around the world.  May 12, 2018 is the first presentation this year to fulfill on my word.   The world needs leaders, people who are thoughtful about when they give their word and meticulous about honoring their word.

The participants in the May 12, 2018 course are astonishing women who have assumed many leadership roles in their lives, and the world is blessed to have them active on this planet:  Leading healing therapeutic art  projects for the United Nations, resourcing and supporting teachers, improving the quality of health services for veterans, transforming access to health care for children in Arizona, helping women executives break glass ceilings and getting equal pay,  increasing voter registration and participation, improving the justice system both from the bench and trial lawyer roles, preserving the environment, standing for a world where violence against women does not exist and — so much more.

What brings us all together for this day is our desire to be a leader and to cause a future that isn’t going to happen unless we say it will and take action to make it so.   This is not a course about observing what a leader is; it is a course where we take on being a leader with a leadership project that can be completed, or well on its way, by the end of the day on May 12, 2018.

This parameter – a leadership project that can be completed or well on its way, by the end of the day – has been enlightening to all of us.    It teaches us that being a leader can be accessed at any time on any scale.  Leadership is not reserved for world-wide projects.  One can be a leader to yourself, within your family, on your facebook feed, at your workplace — anywhere.

Leadership always arises from honoring your word and being a person of integrity – a person that others can count on.  Leaders are always given being by something greater than themselves, and that something is why people want to follow.

I cannot wait to see what happens as my word to train 1000 women leaders manifests and spreads.

May 3, 2018  Beth Klein, Attorney and Human Rights Activist