At this time of reflection and special time with family, we are reminded of the words of Norwegian Air Force Brigadier General Arnvid Brage Løvbukten:
'Integrity
Jesus Christ is the same today, yesterday and forever. He never changes. He has perfect integrity. As a leader he is truly my frontfigure.
Laws/rules/regulations will be broken in a crisis or when times are getting rough (budget cuts etc). So who is setting the standard? We are.
We are drawing the lines. Everybody will be looking at us, and the units will immediately adapt to new rules as soon as we make up new unwritten ones.
It is tempting and convenient not to inform my authorities about my dispositions because the money flows easily in times of crises. So there are numerous opportunities to show my integrity or lack of it during a crisis. My leadership will in the long run be strengthened or weakened by it.
In an extended crisis, the morale will fall if we don't work on it. Then our own integrity will inevitably be looked at by our own people to find any excuse to break rules, laws, use of alcohol, etc. Credibility is a very important possession of a leader.
I always say that I am never perfect, but I should be working on myself constantly. I believe that when I'm through improving, I'm through. I also discovered that there are traps around success as well. When everything in the crisis is going well, it is not the time to relax. Ability may get me to the top - but it takes character to keep me there.'
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