Integrity means having the courage to stand up for what you believe in, even when things get tough.
The President of the United States is pressuring companies to abandon their diversity and inclusion strategies. If they don’t comply, they risk losing access to U.S. government contracts. Accenture is one company that has given in to this pressure, halting its diversity efforts despite long claiming a commitment to hiring people from different backgrounds.
In Norway, suppliers are facing similar demands. Hafslund, which provides electricity to the U.S. Embassy in Oslo, has been asked to sign a statement agreeing to stop promoting diversity, equity and inclusion. For Hafslund, however, the relationship with the U.S. isn’t a matter of survival, so saying no is not too difficult.
Others aren’t so fortunate. Companies around the world are being tested to see if they truly uphold the values they claim to believe in. Is their commitment to diversity genuine, or does it vanish when profits are at stake? If it disappears under pressure, it’s hard to tell whether the commitment was ever real or merely performative.
The courage to stand up for what we believe in
When companies are pressured like this, it’s crucial to understand what they can do to hold their ground. Can they resist and maintain their values? How far can they be pushed before they bend?
Physics defines two types of friction: kinetic and static. Both influence how objects move against one another. Kinetic friction slows things down—like a skier losing speed as the snow melts. It can be adjusted: glide wax reduces resistance, while grip wax increases it.
Static friction, on the other hand, doesn’t just slow movement—it stops it entirely. Imagine a heavy box on the floor. No matter how hard you push, it won’t budge. The box’s weight and the floor’s texture combine to hold it firmly in place.
A similar kind of static friction exists among people. On a large scale, it could prevent Trump from achieving his goal of excluding companies that embrace diversity. Will these companies stand firm in their beliefs, or will they be swayed by political pressure?
On a smaller scale, static friction shows up in our reluctance to change. A leader may try to persuade colleagues with new ideas, but they won’t move. They’re not open to different perspectives or approaches—they simply resist.
Sometimes, that kind of steadfastness hinders progress. In others it is exactly what’s needed to resist pressure from powerful forces trying to steer us away from our principles. Leaders, in particular, have a responsibility to ensure their organizations are honest, consistent, and true to their stated values.
Integrity means having the courage to stand up for what we believe in, even when the stakes are high. It means having the strength and determination to stay where we are. Static friction ensures that those trying to push us off course waste their energy. Eventually, they’ll realize it’s not worth the effort. We’re not going anywhere.
The text was first published in Dagens Næringsliv:
https://www.dn.no/ledelse/ledelse/friksjon-under-press/2-1-1817487