The mind likes things as they are (even if it’s not happy with things as they are) and has sophisticated programming to ensure that they stay as they are. This programming, unfortunately, blocks us from our personal development and spiritual growth.

To circumvent the mind’s programming, we need only ask ourselves a simple question: “Where am I being dishonest with myself?” To give this process more focus, you may ask this question in the context of each area of your life.

For example, you can look at your finances. Signs of a lack of integrity with your finances include spending more than you earn, running up credit card debt, and not saving effectively for the future.

A lack of integrity with one’s relationships can manifest in not telling the truth (not “being real” with your friends or loved ones), playing games, or avoiding confrontation or difficult issues that are slowly draining your energy.

Looking at your business, are there areas where you don’t honor your word or agreement? Are there areas of your business where you know you’re cutting corners?

It can often be difficult to notice when our integrity is out of check. Again, the mind is sneaky; inner honesty is required. Do you, for example, have a project or a creative endeavor you’ve always wanted to do but have always found an equally justifiable excuse not to do it? When you identify your excuses and lack of commitment in a given department, it’s time for an integrity check.

Taking personal inventory of the various areas of your life can be an enlightening process. When you consciously own the places where you’re misaligned, you instantly put yourself on the road to higher integrity. Safe travels.

Related posts:

1. Integrity in Business
2. A Sign of Integrity
3. Four Signs That Your Brand Has High Integrity

The singular characteristic that all brands with loyal customers share is high integrity. After all, who would become loyal to a business if the brand were not honest, trustworthy and willing to serve?

Here are four signs that your brand possesses a high level of integrity:

1) Your brand demonstrates a willingness to genuinely serve its customers.

Great companies don’t just create meaningless slogans like “Customer Service Excellence”—they champion customer-centric values as a way of operating every aspect of their business. These businesses go beyond expectations to stand above their competitors. In addition to creating beautifully designed products, Apple supports their Mac User Groups (MUGs) as well as Genius Bar to help educate their customers on how to better use their Apple products.

2) Your brand listens to its customers on a meaningful level.

Corporate leaders of high-integrity businesses leave their comfortable offices and directly engage their customers. Sam Walton used to say, “If you don’t know what to do, go ask the customer. If it’s not happening in the store, it is not important to them.” Costco CEO Jim Sinegal apparently agrees; he visits a different Costco store every day.

3) Your brand exhibits caring awareness and a sense of community with its employees.

High-integrity businesses view their employees as family, not workhorses. Financial analysts criticize Costco for its generosity to its workforce but as CEO Jim Sinegal explains, “We’re trying to build a company that’s going to be here 50 and 60 years from now. We owe that to the communities where we do business. We owe that to our employees, that they can count on us for security.”

4) Your brand cultivates a company culture that reflects what its brand represents.

Companies like Apple, Google, Netflix and Zappos live by certain values that ignite passion in their customers. Because the company’s values are aligned with the customer’s values, customer loyal ensues. Led by CEO Tony Hsieh, Zappos has set a new standard in cultivating a customer-centric culture.

Companies with higher integrity aren’t perfect, but they never settle—they continually strive to improve their offerings and better serve their customers. Instead of playing to the competition, they create and nurture their own unique place in their customer’s hearts and minds.

Related posts:

1. A Sign of Integrity
2. The Power of Intention in Brand Building
3. Integrity in Business

You run an Enlightened Business if you …

• Operate every aspect of your business with integrity.
• Listen to your customers and are aware of their needs.
• Innovate around the needs of your customers.
• Demonstrate a genuine willingness to serve your customers.
• Find ways to give back to your community.
• Foster a distinct culture committed to a set of core values.
• Are conscious and concerned about your business’s impact on the environment.

You are an Enlightened Business owner if you …

• Play to people’s strengths instead of focusing on their weaknesses.
• Value your employees as team members and respect them as human beings.
• Accept the nature of competition and continue to operate with high integrity.
• Combine analytic reasoning with subjective experience to understand what drives your customers.
• Hold a deeper meaning of the role you play in positively influencing others and inspiring growth and contribution.

Enlightened Businesses and Creative Professionals keep a unique perspective about what business they are really in. This requires an understanding that transcends a myopic view of your business and your industry.

Ultimately, the willingness to serve your customers is the hallmark of Enlightened Businesses. Let’s commit to growing more Enlightened Businesses for the next generation of consumers and the overall community.

Related posts:

1. What is “Enlightened Business”?
2. Four Signs That Your Brand Has High Integrity
3. Integrity in Business

What does it take to be a world-class team member? What qualities must you possess to help contribute to and support your collective?

1) Results-Driven

You are driven by a larger vision—an end picture bigger than your own personal objectives. You keep the team’s objective in mind at all times and work diligently towards its achievement.

2) Accountability

You are accountable for your actions and responsibilities and you hold your teammates accountable for theirs. Your high level of accountability gives your team members certainty that you’ll get your part done.

3) Empathy

You are aware of your own feelings and the feelings of your teammates. You aren’t overly sensitive and you don’t engage in office politics, but you are aware of what’s not said, which deepens your connection and ability to communicate openly with your teammates.

4) Integrity

You uphold a high personal standard. You are honest, open and trust-worthy. You don’t play mind games. You do what you think is best for the team and the greater good.

5) Humility

You are confident in character and grounded with humility. You are not afraid to ask for help, admit ignorance or say you don’t understand. Humility is the universal trait of creative genius as it brings the willingness to grow.

6) Supportive

You are supportive of your team members. You find ways to uplift, inspire and honor them. In serving your team members, you serve yourself and the team.

7) Willingness

You are willing to go above and beyond what is expected of you. You serve as a role model for the rest of the team and inspire a deeper level of commitment within the team.

All seven of these attributes represent areas of growth and discovery for each of us. You might excel at certain attributes and be deficient in others, but by becoming aware of each of them, you can constantly grow in your abilities as a world-class team member.

Related posts:

1. Seven Great Reasons to Invest in Team Building
2. Five Habits of Highly Effective Team Leaders
3. The Five Archetypes of a Destructive Team

Now that we’ve explored the three powerful steps to coaching, let’s determine what effective coaches have in common.

1) A coach is a master question asker.

The key is to know the right question to ask at the right time. This takes practice, experience, patience and awareness. Always strive to ask more thoughtful questions of your team members and associates.

2) A coach is sensibly direct.

A coach doesn’t play office politics, crafting his words to elicit a particular response from his team member. In fact, office politics destroys teams. The coach is sensible, however, and uses discretion as needed.

3) A coach has sensory acuity.

A coach stays aware of his environment and those around him. He watches body language, tonality and other nonverbal forms of communication to better understand what others are saying.

4) A coach is a master listener.

An effective coach is highly empathic and intuitively connected to his team members. He listens intently—especially to what’s not being said.

5) A coach is inspirational.

Knowing that a business-as-usual attitude is an easy way to stifle creativity, a coach is constantly looking for ways to uplift his team. He provides moral support and is on the lookout for inspiring quotes, ideas and events—anything to raise the team’s spirit.

6) A coach challenges you.

There’s always room for growth and a coach is committed to facilitating your development. Instilling certainty of purpose, the effective coach provides meaningful direction.

7) A coach has high integrity.

Honesty, trustworthiness and integrity are the cornerstones of a coach’s state of being. Only after team members and associates trust and respect their coach (or leader) will major progress be achieved.

If you want to be an effective leader who brings your team to great achievements, you’ll examine these seven qualities very carefully and continually find areas for improvement.

Related posts:

1. Five Habits of Highly Effective Team Leaders
2. Six Principles for Effective Feedback
3. The First Stop Toward Building an Effective Team