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Integrity is Heavy

By Tarsha Smith-Cook

Integrity. Such a profound, challenging word. It can mean being honest and having a strong moral compass. It can mean doing what is right even when no one is looking. Honesty, fairness, righteousness – operating as independent concepts, these words do not embody the concept of integrity. But when they are combined, we begin to see what integrity looks like. Integrity is doing what is honest, fair, and righteous, even when it’s hard, and even if there is no reward. Integrity is heavy, but it is a weight all strong leaders must bear.

I say integrity is heavy because it carries with it another powerful moral trait: a sense of responsibility. Integrity isn’t just about monitoring your own behavior; it’s an internal value that must also be expressed outwardly. It means speaking up when others act without it. It means sometimes having to tell your family or friends that they’re wrong. It means standing alone at work when doing what’s right is more important than fitting in. Sometimes, it even means quitting a job — grieving the sense of community you had built — because the environment lacks the integrity you hold dear. I know this firsthand.

I’ve left two government jobs because integrity was absent in those workspaces. The first facility allowed residents to be sexually exploited. When it was brought to my attention, I gathered evidence and took it to my supervisor and their supervisors. Nothing was done. They were more concerned about the facility’s reputation than protecting the residents. The second facility allowed disabled residents to be physically neglected and emotionally abused. When I reported my concerns, I was met with indifference, as though it was just a normal day of business. It was disturbing to hear the lack of concern, but what concerned me most was the passive acceptance of potential lawsuits over actually addressing the abuse.

I tried to do what was right and tried to make changes in both situations. My personal integrity required me to do more than just report what I saw — I tried to create change. I tried to offer training, and I attempted to shift the culture toward accountability. But without support from leadership, my efforts were ineffective. Those harmful behaviors continued, unaddressed, and I was left in an impossible position. Do I ignore my moral compass and accept being part of an unethical system? Do I abandon my responsibilities as a mandated reporter? Do I stay silent and just collect a paycheck? Even if I stayed, what kind of environment would I be walking into? One where I’d exposed unethical practices and now had a target on my back?

These were the hard questions I had to face because integrity isn’t just about doing the right thing for yourself. It’s about having the courage to stand up for others — even when it costs you.

While I’ve always valued integrity in the workplace, it has become more important to me than any other professional need, more important than being heard, supported, or working in a positive environment. A workplace rooted in integrity offers emotional and physical safety, fair treatment, and peace of mind, while a lack of it breeds anxiety, mistrust, and burnout. Leaders with integrity create workplaces where integrity saturates everything. No, choosing to be a leader of integrity isn’t always easy. In fact, choosing integrity is heavy with emotional weight and responsibility.

Integrity requires action. Integrity requires strength. Integrity demands much but also delivers much. Yes, integrity is heavy, but it is a weight strong leaders must bear.

Tarsha Smith-Cook owns Breaking Chains Consultations

and is an author and training specialist.

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Integrity is Heavy

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