Rules for others that you ignore yourself
You hold others to rules that you quietly ignore yourself, eroding your credibility every time people notice the gap between your words and actions.
Principled when people are watching
You follow your stated principles when people are watching or when it feels inspiring, cut corners in private when tired, and carry the quiet shame of feeling like a fraud.
Standards by force; “just this once” under pressure
You live up to your standards during normal weeks by forcing yourself to do the right thing. Under tight deadlines, fatigue, or group pressure, you bend the rules and rationalize why “just this once” was necessary.
Red lines and daily defaults; call yourself out
You translate your standards into clear red lines and daily defaults so sticking to them under stress doesn’t depend on mood. When you fall short, you call yourself out openly and fix it before anyone has to point it out.
State standards up front; invite being held to them
You state your standards up front and invite others to hold you to them, standing by them even when it is unpopular in the room. Whenever a crisis or temptation causes you to slip, you make a visible repair and redesign your environment or incentives so keeping your standard is the easiest path next time.