10) Be impeccable in your conduct. Maintain the highest standards of professional and personal behavior.

Consumers in leadership positions play a special and visible role in organizations. And may, therefore, be subject to increased scrutiny. It is essential that they be above reproach in their behavior and interactions, including the way in which they present themselves, the manner in which they speak, and the courtesy and respect they show others. Aspire to be your best self and pursue that goal with grace and optimism.

For Example...
Rhonda has been involved in the parent-to-parent movement for six years. Shortly after her daughter Chantelle was born, Rhonda started a support group for parents of premature babies. It was the first one in her community. She also developed a one-on-one hospital-visiting program in which experienced parents visit parents of newborns with disabilities. As Chantelle got older, Rhonda became involved in her state's early intervention program. She has been a tireless force in her community.

The national Partners for Preemies conference is being held in Washington, DC and the Early Intervention Council nominates Rhonda to go as their representative. The council will pay Rhonda's conference registration and travel expenses. The hospital will contribute an additional $500 to cover her meals and to pay for any conference resource materials she might want to purchase. Both the council and the hospital are proud that Rhonda is going to the meeting. They look forward to the information she will bring back to the community.

Rhonda attends the pre-conference day for parent leaders. She is awed by the people she meets and enjoys sharing stories and information with them. This is the first opportunity she has had to meet other parent leaders from around the country and she is amazed by what they have in common.

On the second day of the main conference a number of the parent leaders decide to skip the seminars and spend the day sightseeing in Washington. They invite Rhonda to join them. Although Rhonda would love to visit the monuments and museums and to spend more time with these parent leaders she feels that it is her obligation to attend as much of the conference as possible. The organizations that paid for her participation in the meeting have an expectation of her — and she intends to honor it. She is sorry to miss the networking time with the other parents, but she stays on-site at the conference and attends all the sessions.

Living up to the highest standards and being impeccable in our conduct can be not only challenging but also lonely. And it is likely that we, like Rhonda, will occasionally encounter situations where our colleagues make other choices. The pressure to take shortcuts and to choose the less-than ethical path can be great. But it is destructive to the kind of change consumers are working to effect. Always remember that reputations are built on and maintained by personal conduct. No one can fault you if you do the right thing.