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This post is inspired from a hit bollywood movie “Wanted” (which I found particularly cheesy and a bit in the spirit of the gladly forgotten 90’s era when bollywood unfortunately, had forgot how to make good movies). Though the movie was a typical masala movie, there was a particular dialogue from the movie that had hit me just as intensely as the hero (Salman Khan) hits pretty much everyone throughout the movie.
So, what’s a line from a bollywood promo for a movie I found quite cheesy doing on Active Garage? It obviously has a message that applies very closely to business, life and the business of life!
Without further ado, here is the line and it’s translation:
In Hindi:
“Ek baar jo maine commitment kar di…uske baad toh main khud ki bhi nahin sunta!”
Translation: The translation of the single dialogue from the promo is:
“Once I make a commitment… I don’t even listen to myself”
I was quite moved by the simplicity and the power of this sentence. Imagine a world where everyone makes commitments and don’t even listen to themselves, if it means breaking them. Imagine a world where people keep their word at every cost. There is no “Sorry for being late… “, no “The dog ate my homework… ” or “I did not think it was that important”. How much easier would it become to work with customers, employers, employees and colleagues! Welcome to the land of Integrity!
There are a few definitions of integrity but the most powerful one is “The quality or state of being whole or complete”.
Consider a couple of examples to clarify this definition:
- When we say a bridge has integrity, we trust that it is functional. That is to say that we trust it to the function as someone has said it will be OR in other words, when the builder declares that a bridge is ready, traffic (buses, trucks, cars etc) can cross over and reach the other side safe and sound. That’s integrity.
- When we say an airline has integrity, we trust that it is functional. That is to say that you and I trust it enough so that we will put ourselves at 30,000 feet above ground in a metal cylinder powered by jet engines and enjoy the ride to the other side of the world safely (and hopefully in time!). That’s integrity.
Consider the lack of integrity (and its consequences) in these two examples:
- Bridge: Even a single brick being lose or a beam not properly constructed can cause havoc in the lives of thousands if that results in the bridge collapsing – that is the price of lack of integrity in this situation.
- Airline: A single oversight in the routine check of the millions of mechanical parts of an airplane can mean unthinkable consequences.
Consider the possibility that we, as individuals, bring this very same concept of integrity to our daily lives, our workplaces and everywhere else with how we show up in this world. You’ll notice that in all the domains of your life, people relate to you the way you show up as (i.e. how you act) with the background of who you declare yourself to be (your word) – and always make the assessment of trust based on if you keep your word or not.
Note: Special thanks to Landmark Education for providing me with the distinction of Integrity.