Did this headline catch your interest like it did mine?

Wells Fargo Held “Fake Interviews” to Feign Diversity Efforts, Employees Claim

I don’t know if Wells Fargo did what it’s accused of doing; time will tell. In the meantime, I view this action as a reminder about a leader’s responsibility to ensure we lead our organizations with integrity.

“Integrity in everything we do” was (and still may be) a basic business value of a company I once worked for. This powerful yet simple statement served as a guiding light for our actions, including the decisions we made during challenging times. It is equally important today, given the many challenges we are faced with.

Leadership Tip

Always lead your team with the highest degree of integrity. Never put yourself in a position where your character is challenged.

Regardless of where you are in your leadership journey—at the beginning or in your dream job—always act with integrity in everything you do. Here are a few more “always” examples to adopt:

• Do what you say you will do – people with integrity always do.
• With the people you lead – always treat them fairly and with respect.
• When you make a mistake – always own the mistake to preserve credibility.
• When dealing with customers/vendors – always practice honesty; it builds relationships.
• Always follow the rules – you may not like them, but until you can change them, follow them.

Here are a few “never” examples for you:

• Never lie.
• Never cheat.
• Never bully or purposely intimidate people.
• Never manipulate the system for personal gain.
• Never reprimand someone for telling the truth or doing the right thing.

You probably learned these commonsense lessons in elementary school years ago. Believe it or not, they still apply in business today.

As the late United States Army General Norman Schwarzkopf said, “Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy.”