According to Webster’s Dictionary, integrity can be defined as “the firm adherence to a code of especially moral values.” While this value is obviously of high importance for companies, it is also one of the most important values to lead by throughout everyday life.
To me, integrity means always striving to do the right thing, despite the situation and regardless of whether or not anyone else is watching; it means simply doing the best you can, listening to your instincts, and choosing to do what is right, even when it’s difficult. This value is so important for everyday life—without it, we risk inviting mistrust into our lives and any relationships built would hang on the smallest thread, just waiting for someone to make one wrong move. Without integrity, both our personal and professional lives would be in constant states of turmoil.
However, as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), this value holds even more weight. To become a CPA, I needed to take a variety of courses, including an ethics course (of which I need to retake annually to renew my CPA license). Throughout this course, we discussed various scenarios—specifically surrounding finances—and the morality of various responses to these scenarios. Throughout the course, it was evident that integrity is a leading value of the profession; CPA’s are trusted by the public, expected to abide by the law and act accordingly, even if it means taking responsibility for something that causes us to appear in an uncomfortable or unflattering light.
Working as the Controller of TEDCO, I’m honored to say that integrity is a leading value in not only all that I do, but all that the organization does; in fact, it’s even one of TEDCO’s core values—or as our CEO Troy LeMaile-Stovall describes them, part of our “unwavering guide.”
As a core value of TEDCO, our commitment to integrity is defined as such:
“We provide the best quality service to all stakeholders and strive to exceed expectations. We pursue innovation and entrepreneurial success with the highest regard for moral, ethical and inclusion standards. We stand by what we say and what we do, and we always act in an honest and open way.”
I am honored to say that this value is upheld by all employees and is evident throughout each and every day. From those in leadership roles to the newest members of the team, TEDCO exudes integrity. We not only follow the law, we ensure that our organization goes even further, actively searching for new ways to lead with integrity, from mistake-free financial statements to committing to DEI efforts to improve and diversify the Maryland entrepreneurial ecosystem.