integrity with lower case "i"

In July 2020, I had the pleasure of discussing a topic that has been foundational in both my personal development and coaching work with Haydn Bratt (BA, ACIPD).

A key part of leadership growth is reflection. One of my favourite tools for this is something I call integrity with a lowercase “i” — a concept inspired by engineering and mathematics.

On the left, uniform bricks stacked with consistency form a stable column — a metaphor for integrity built moment by moment. On the right, mismatched bricks crumble under their own weight — a symbol of rationalised behaviour without internal alignment.

Most people think of values as static traits: “I am innovative,” or “I am accountable.” But what if we saw our values not as fixed attributes, but as qualities of our behaviour in a given moment?

The exercise is simple — and powerful. Instead of asking “Am I innovative?”, we ask:

“Did I act with integrity with respect to being innovative in this moment?”

This reframe shifts our focus from identity to accountability. From performance to presence.

Each moment becomes a micro-opportunity to align action with value — not in some grand or perfect way, but with internal coherence.

Did I act with integrity with respect to my values — in this moment?

That’s the question at the heart of this practice.

🎧 Listen to the full conversation on Apple Podcasts