WING TIPS

The first and most crucial element in building a culture of excellence is to develop the right principles. Your principles are critically important because they define your life. They determine the choices you make and the things you do. An essential principle is integrity. Integrity is the foundation for trust because you can’t lead or succeed if people don’t trust you to tell the truth.

Living the Dream

I was on cloud nine as I sat in the office of the Director of Pilot Hiring. I was getting out of the Air Force and had been fortunate to interview for a pilot position with Delta. There was a saying among pilots; “Every pilot wants to be an airline pilot, and every airline pilot wants to fly for Delta.” Delta’s pilots were the highest paid in the industry, and Delta had never laid off any crews.

We were having an easy conversation as he shared the reasons for the company’s success. A genteel older southerner, he emphasized Delta’s southern roots and its conservative business approach. I enjoyed the discussion but was anxious to begin the actual interview, so I asked if he would like to see my Air Force records and flying logs.  He said, “T,” I know you can fly a jet. I just want to see what kind of person you are.” Then he leaned in and asked, “Are you a very religious person?”

Do You Go To Church?

The question caught me totally off guard, and I suspected that it was not a proper question to be asked in an interview. Not a regular churchgoer, I told him that I did believe in God, hoping to end that line of questioning. But it was not to be. The follow-up question was even more penetrating. “But do you go to church every Sunday?” he asked.  And now I had a serious ethical dilemma staring me square in the face.

The director had just espoused the virtues of Delta’s conservative values. Going to church is a common practice in the south, and he was a very devout man because he was asking me these religious questions. This was my big chance for a future aviation career with the top company in the business! If I told him the truth, I could see my dream job just flying away. Should I lie about church to get the job?

My Big Chance

I had graduated from a school with a strict honor code, and integrity was the first core value in the Air Force. My parents had drummed in me always to tell the truth, though I had faltered from time to time. But this was my big chance with DELTA! It’s tough to live your values when there is so much on the line. The temptation to lie was powerful!

The Test

But in good conscience, I couldn’t tell him that I went to church every Sunday and told him the truth. I waited to be dismissed for not being up to Delta’s conservative standards when he said, “I‘m glad that you don’t have to go to church every Sunday because we are an airline, and we fly 365. I wouldn’t want to hire someone and interfere with his religious beliefs.” I was shocked but so glad that I had told the truth. I later discovered that this was one way he tested a person’s character and decided who would fly for Delta.

The takeaway: Always be a person of integrity even when there is a lot on the line. It might be a huge sale, a promotion, or even a job. Staying true to your principles is always the best course to take and may ultimately be the factor that wins the day.

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A QUOTE TO CONSIDER

“Integrity is the seed for achievement. It is the principle that never fails.”

-Earl Nightingale