The Search For Integrity

This is beyond Diogenes and his search for an honest man.

This is far beyond a college ethics class definition of honorable circumstantial interrelationships. This is beyond frequenting businesses based on good experiences.

This is personal.

Our society has been defined by size - big government, educational institutions, workers movements, corporate ethics. All of these are shredding their vestments, the vestiges of the industrial age, and none of them are to be trusted.

With the technological empowering of the individual now being experienced, relationships are moving from large scale efficiencies to trusting relationships. This will not be a fast or smooth move, but it is already in progress.

A protean team of netcohort entrepreneurs is self limiting. Reputation is the hallmark of the creative knowledge workers guild.

This is like Saturday morning at the school grounds. Fifty kids show up to play baseball - the best know best eighteen players are selected. the others go home. There is no appeal. There is no adult to insure "Fairness." The right number is selected - no others need apply. The goal is to win the game.

A serial entrepreneur decides to start a new business. If he is wise, he will call together the best people he can trust and get started. Others may be added to the team - by direct knowledge, or by referral from a trusted team member. When the project is done the group disperses to other projects - knowing more about each other and their capabilities.

Reputations grow with performance.

Relationships and reputations are the basis of team selection.

If you lack integrity you will not be invited, if invited you will not be asked back, you will not be referred to another group. You will go home.

When everything was big - everyone was assumed to lie. Herds of lawyers confirmed the deals with contracts - and herds of lawyers broke the contracts.

A hand shake, a "yes I will" over the phone, a nod of the head.

The netcohort society works on reputation - you said it - you will do it. If you fail for good reasons, everyone learns and we keep moving.

If someone fails and offers weak excuses, they will get cut from the team. They will not get a chance at the next juicy project.

Personal relationships.

Personal responsibility.

Personal integrity.

You either have it or you don't. Just like baseball - if you don't have it the first step is practice.

Practice integrity in your everyday walk - love it, live it.

When the opportunity comes, you will be what you have practiced.

Someone said "Practice does not make perfect - perfect practice makes perfect. Practice makes permanent whatever you practice." Your attitude and your integrity right now are the results of choices you made earlier.

If you wish to perform in the most exciting new ventures of this new age - practice integrity.

Your reputation is in your mouth, your thoughts, your actions - your reputation is now in your own hands.

Live integrity.

.