I have the joy of teaching leadership in many settings. My favorite audiences are Emory University scholars (in three separate programs – the Executive MBA, MBA, and BBA programs). Trust, compassion, and integrity are always stressed. The following are four examples of integrity.
An auditor blows the whistle
In the Pentagon, a major, who was an auditor, discovered that an Air Force general officer had manipulated a secret United States Air Force bank account. Over years, the general pocketed more than $300,000. Despite risks to his career, the young major forcefully raised the issue. The general was put on trial and disgraced.
A Senator publicly takes on Joe McCarthy
Senator Margaret Chase Smith was the first major public servant to confront one of the most dishonest American politicians of the 20th century, Senator Joseph McCarthy. Her statement of conscience is available on the internet.
A resignation from CNN
In June 1998, CNN made a major mistake. The founder of CNN, Ted Turner, called it the biggest mistake of his life. CNN produced a special that examined a highly classified military operation, “Operation Tailwind,” during the war in Southeast Asia.
CNN accused American soldiers and airmen of war crimes, including dropping lethal nerve gas and killing large numbers of civilians. None of these charges were true. One week after the Valley of Death special aired on CNN, I resigned from CNN. I told the CEO of CNN, that I would never work for CNN again.
The Georgia Secretary of State validated the results of the election of 2020
Impressed by the decision of Brad Raffensperger to uphold the law, I wrote him a letter praising his actions. Raffensperger telephoned me and asked that I write a short blurb endorsing his forthcoming book. I read a draft copy of Integrity Counts and provided him with this input:
“I can vividly remember the acts of high character displayed by Edward R. Murrow, Senator Margaret Chase Smith, and attorney Joseph Welch during the Joseph McCarthy era, and by John Dean and Alexander Butterfield toward the end of the Nixon administration. In my judgment, Brad Raffensperger’s act of high integrity places him in the same category as these distinguished Americans. “
Incidentally, Integrity Counts has received 176 ratings on amazon.com – 75 percent are at the 5-star level. This book provides a detailed description of the Trump-Raffensperger telephone call in January 2021.
Those who demonstrate high integrity should be applauded and, if possible, rewarded.
Major General Perry Smith, US Air Force (ret.) has lived in Augusta for 32 years. His book, Courage Compassion, Marine tells the remarkable story of Jimmie Dyess.
