A Lesson in Integrity
The past week has been one of great emotion, deep thought and meaningful conversation. Not about restaurants but about racism.
Last week I was schooled. I had responded to a student and friend in a comment on Facebook and he showed me how the words I had used were part of the problem. Thus I found myself in the seat of the student where, through a series of conversations over the past week, I was able to learn valuable lessons from 3 teachers who were formerly my own students. I had the opportunity to listen and learn and have come to realize that in order to make meaningful change we must take action, every single time.
Change is about actively choosing the words we use and the actions we take to uphold and deliver on our intentions. Empty promises mean nothing. So it was humbling to discover that I had made some empty promises, and that I had squandered my power by staying quiet.
The first lesson came from my recent student David, who was unflinching in his criticism, clear in his correction and yet loving in his message. His honesty empowered me to take action, see what I didn’t truly see before and evaluate my choice of words. The second lesson came from another recent grad, Emily, who showed me through her writing just what real ownership looks like. How I, a white woman, can raise my voice and believe it actually matters. The third lesson came from my student/employee/friend, Joe, who counseled me through my feelings of dismay, humility and helplessness. He was able to guide me through my disappointment in myself so I could try again. He showed me that even if I fumble, even if I mess up, I can definitely listen, do my homework, and then try again. Effort matters.
These lessons were integrity in action. All were examples of what integrity truly is. It’s owning your values, owning your opinions, owning your intentions and staying the course. Integrity is what I saw demonstrated in my student/teachers and what I have felt and heard echoed again and again from my community of hospitality people and friends. And integrity is an essential part of hospitality. Integrity is the backbone of a vibrant culture. It’s the backbone of a solid, successful brand; of high quality food and drink; of strong leadership. Integrity is a beacon that attracts like to like.
I also believe that integrity will be more important than ever as more and more businesses reopen. It will be essential to truly practice what we preach whether it’s about social distancing and sanitation or about upholding our ideals of diversity and inclusion. My integrity has spurred me to share, spurred me to act, spurred me to adjust and evolve. And so I am actively working to make inclusion and diversity a part of what I do daily in my work and community by creating space for more voices to be heard. In order to change pervasive institutionalized racism, it takes more than good intentions; it requires ownership and action. Before, I believed I was inclusive but I wasn’t actually active in doing anything to further this ideal. Thus action and intention are now one.
Integrity will be absolutely essential as we move forward. So many questions remain unanswered, so many promises still unfulfilled. Integrity is the glue that we must all bring to our work, our intentions and our actions. We are all leaders... I invite you to think about how you can stand up for what is right, voice it and bring it steadfastly to life. Action is needed and it will take all of our voices combined with all of our actions. I feel indebted to those who have been willing to help me begin to see a better way and do so with unvarnished truth. It takes every one of us: together, we can make meaningful change in our industry, communities and country.
