What Math (!) Can Teach us About Leadership

Remember Enron? The Houston-based energy company, who employed over 20,000 people, that went bankrupt in 2001 due to fraud, and whose leaders went to prison, had these values displayed prominently on the wall of the lobby in their headquarters:  

Integrity. Communication. Respect. Excellence.

In a world growing increasingly more suspicious of people in authority, integrity is of utmost importance for leaders. 

The word integrity comes from the field of mathematics. It’s hard to believe I’m drawing leadership lessons from math (my least favorite subject in school), but it’s a powerful one. An integer is a complete unit, a number with no fractional (decimal) part – whole numbers like 1, 2, 3, etc. The word integer in Latin means “whole” - quite literally, “untouched.” It’s also where we derive our word entire. 

To be integrous is to be whole – to live without any fractional component. When I think of integrity Psalm 86:11 comes to mind: “Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart that I may fear your name.” A heart without fractional components.  

It’s not what you have hanging in the lobby that matters; it’s how you live. 

Leaders are people who build trust, bear pain, and bring hope. And if we want to build trust with others we must live and lead like integers. 

Lord, give us undivided hearts.