Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company was founded as the Mutual Life Insurance Company of the State of Wisconsin on March 2, 1857. Originally located in Janesville, Wisconsin, the fledgling company relocated to Milwaukee in 1859. Shortly after this move, the company experienced its first two death claims, when an excursion train traveling from Janesville to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin derailed, killing 14 people. Two of the deceased were policy owners with Mutual. Together the life insurance claims for these two totaled $3,500. In today’s funds this would likely be close to $1,300,000. Having company funds of only $2,000, Mutual’s President, Samuel Daggett and Treasurer, Charles Nash found themselves in a predicament.

Northwestern had several options. First, they could’ve not paid out the claims, alleging some sort of technical reason. The two officers could have dissolved the company, waited a year and opened under a new name. Third, they could pay out the $2,000 in their bank account, giving the family of each victim $1,000. Certainly, no one would hold any blame against them for giving all they had.

But the two men, Daggett and Nash, did something far greater. They each acquired loans against their personal assets (homes) to meet the needed funds to pay the claims immediately. To Daggett and Nash this was a matter of character and integrity. Paying a portion of the policy was the best of the aforementioned choices. But for these two men, it was not an option. The full cash values of the policies had to be paid. Nothing less.

Integrity is the greatest asset to your character. If you want to be known as a person of high quality character, integrity is a necessity. Talking integrity is not enough. It is like saying you have money in the bank, when your bank account is actually empty. Feeling as though you have integrity is similar to running up a credit card account when you know you do not have funds pay it off. Action is the only means to build and prove integrity. You can talk about and feel as though you have integrity all your life. But people know the depth of your integrity by the actions you make every day.

What are your actions proving about your integrity?

 George Yates is a Church Health Strategist and coach assisting churches pastors, organizations, and individuals to reach for their God-given potential.