Are You Truly in Integrity with Your Agreements?
Image: Edgar Chaparro via Unsplash
We’ve all done it—agreed to something with the best of intentions but didn’t quite follow through. Maybe it was a deadline that slipped, a promise that faded, or a commitment that was never clearly defined in the first place. These might seem like small missteps, but they add up. And they don’t just impact productivity—they drain trust, create unnecessary drama, and subtly erode our own sense of personal power.
“The road to hell is paved with vague intentions.”
– inspired by an old proverb, but painfully accurate!
Conscious leaders know that integrity isn’t just about being honest or ethical. It’s about wholeness—ensuring that our words, actions, and commitments align. When we’re in integrity, there’s flow. When we’re not, things feel heavy, stuck, or incomplete.
Four Ways We Break Integrity (and Drain Our Energy in the Process)
We often think of integrity as just doing what we said we would do, but it runs deeper than that. There are four primary ways we unknowingly weaken our integrity:
1. Avoiding Responsibility – Not fully owning our role in things.
2. Suppressing Emotions – Ignoring or avoiding feelings instead of working through them.
3. Holding Back the Truth – Keeping things unsaid that need to be spoken.
4. Breaking Agreements – Failing to honor commitments, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
Of these, broken agreements are the most visible—and the most damaging to trust.
How Strong Leaders Handle Agreements Differently
The most effective leaders don’t just “try their best” with agreements. They are impeccable with them. Here’s what that looks like:
1. They Create Clear Agreements
A vague “I’ll handle it” or “Let’s touch base soon” isn’t an agreement—it’s an assumption. Clear agreements always specify:
✓ Who is responsible
✓ What exactly is being committed to
✓ When it will be completed
Without these, confusion is inevitable.
2. They Keep Their Word (Almost Always)
They aren’t perfect, but they are consistently reliable—honoring 9 out of 10 commitments. If they say they’ll do something, you can count on it.
3. They Renegotiate—Before They Drop the Ball
Life happens. Priorities shift. But instead of silently letting an agreement slip, strong leaders renegotiate before the deadline by having a real conversation. They don’t just inform others that they won’t meet an agreement; they engage in a dialogue to adjust it in a way that works for everyone.
4. They Own and Repair Broken Agreements
Even the best leaders will occasionally break an agreement. The difference? They don’t excuse it or justify it. Instead, they own it fully and seek to restore trust. A simple, powerful approach sounds like this:
“I committed to delivering the report by 5 PM yesterday, and I didn’t. That’s on me. I want to clean this up—what can I do to make this right?”
This level of ownership doesn’t just repair trust—it strengthens it.
Why This Matters More Than You Think
Consider how much time, energy, and frustration is wasted because of unclear or broken agreements. How many conflicts arise from misaligned expectations? How much productivity is lost in the chaos of unspoken assumptions?
Being in integrity with agreements isn’t just about doing the right thing—it’s about operating at a higher level of leadership. It’s about creating clarity, trust, and forward momentum in every interaction.
So, here’s the real question….
Where in your life or work are you out of integrity with an agreement?
And what’s one step you can take today to clean it up?
“The moment you make a commitment,
the universe conspires to assist you.”
– Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
