There are persons of known integrity — so overwhelmingly trusted that legislation is written on their assurance and governments lose majorities on their indictment. The basis of their right to govern is their virtue — their moral standing. It gives them credibility in rooms where decisions are made. It gives them legitimacy in rooms of people smarter than them.
Identify the most minute dishonesty in your speech and correct it. Be willing to go to the tower for your conscience. Refuse your blessing for the King’s divorce. Give up the chain of office without complaint the moment it requires you to depart from your ethical code. Be faithful and reliable. Obey the spirit of good laws and follow their letter. Tell the court the weaknesses in your case. Take great pains to return the lost wallet. Cross the street to help the man being harassed by the mob.
Above all: Never lie. Never, ever, ever lie. Lies, even small ones, destroy trust. And trust is the coin of the realm. Trust raises GDP, cures disease, writes constitutions. It is the accepted currency for every transaction in statecraft, the basis of the state’s authority; it is how surgeons excise tumours and lawyers make complex arguments. It is how work gets done.