Mr. Anandrao Deshmukh – strict HOD in Pune
I once called my college HOD unfair for detaining me over low attendance. Years later I realised his unbending rulebook wasn't cruelty — it was integrity, and it taught me what trustworthiness really costs.
I still remember the day I got detained. I was a college student in Pune, my attendance had slipped below the required percentage, and our Head of Department, Mr. Anandrao Deshmukh, showed me no mercy — no exceptions, no negotiation. I was furious. Years later, running my own training business, I understood that his "harshness" was the purest lesson in integrity I ever received.
In short- Mr. Anandrao Deshmukh, my college HOD in Pune, enforced rules on everyone equally — brightest students, favourites, everyone — and once detained me for low attendance.
- I resented it then. Years later, training corporate leaders, I realised his consistency was integrity, and that's exactly what made him trustworthy.
- Trustworthiness means doing what you say, following the rules, and standing up for what's right, even when no one is watching.
- Real-world proof comes from three very different people: Trivikrama Mahadeva in Bangalore, Gauri in our own office, and Arjun, our office assistant.
- Integrity and Trustworthiness is Trait #5 on the EQ side of your Winning Kite — the foundation trait everything else stands on.
Where this sits on your Winning Kite
Integrity and Trustworthiness is the fifth trait on the EQ — left side — of your Winning Kite (KITE Leadership Framework). Think about what a kite needs to fly: string, wind, and a frame that holds together under pressure. Integrity is that frame. You can have brilliant self-awareness, sharp self-control, deep empathy — but if people cannot trust your word, none of it holds the kite in the air. EQ, RQ and PQ all depend on this one trait being non-negotiable.
The HOD everyone complained about
I still remember my college days in Pune. Our Head of Department, Mr. Anandrao Deshmukh, was known across campus for one thing — his unbending strictness about rules and punctuality.
Back then, I didn't appreciate it. In fact, I resented it.
He wouldn't bend the rules for anyone. Not for the brightest student. Not for someone with a family emergency. Not even for his own favourites. If you were late, you were marked absent. If your attendance fell below the required percentage, you were detained. No exceptions. No negotiations.
I got detained once because of low attendance. I was furious. I blamed him for being harsh, inflexible, unfair. "He's too strict," I complained to my friends. "He doesn't understand students' problems."
But years later, when I started my own business and began training professionals across India, something shifted.
I realised Mr. Deshmukh's discipline wasn't cruelty — it was integrity. He didn't cut corners. He held everyone to the same standard, no matter who they were. That unbending sense of right and wrong was what made him trustworthy. And ironically, the very strictness I disliked has become a principle I deeply admire.
Today, whenever I talk about ethics in business, I think of those college days. If he had bent the rules for "important students," we would never have learned why trustworthiness matters.
What is Integrity and Trustworthiness?
Trustworthiness is simple to define but rare to witness: it means being genuinely reliable — doing what you say, following the rules, and standing up for what's right, even when no one is watching.
It's about transparency. Admitting your mistakes. Confronting unethical behaviour in others. Acting consistently with your values, not just when it's convenient, but especially when it's hard.
In the workplace, trustworthiness translates into one powerful reality: people know they can count on you. And that changes everything.
Why does it matter?
In professional life, trustworthiness opens doors that talent alone cannot.
1. You earn respect
When you consistently keep your word, people notice. Clients, colleagues, and bosses respect you. That respect paves the way for promotions, better projects, and leadership roles.
2. You build strong relationships
Customers return to you because they trust your honesty. Teammates feel safe sharing their problems because they know you won't betray them.
3. You enhance your credibility
In times of crisis — looming deadlines, angry clients, tough sales targets — trustworthy people stand out. They don't panic or deceive. They find solutions without sacrificing their values.
Trustworthiness isn't about being perfect. It's about being consistent.
When is trustworthiness actually tested?
Anyone can be honest when life is smooth. The real test comes when you're under pressure — a crushing deadline, an angry client, tough sales goals. That's when people think, "Let me just fudge this a bit to fix it quickly." But the moment you do that, you risk breaking the trust you've spent years building.
- Example 1 — Sales: You're closing a deal, and the client asks about a feature your product doesn't have. Do you hide the truth to close the sale, or admit the limitation and offer alternatives?
- Example 2 — Quality Control: You're a quality head in a pharma company under immense pressure to release a batch on time. But one test result is borderline. Do you follow the SOP and delay, or skip the retest and push it through?
- Example 3 — Admitting Mistakes: You made an error that affected a project timeline. Do you own it immediately, or deflect blame and hide behind circumstances?
The more stressful the situation, the more critical it is to stand by your ethics. When you do, you prove that you can be counted on — no matter how difficult things get.
Integrity without supervision: the ultimate test
Most workplaces have supervision — someone watching, checking, monitoring. But what about when no one is watching? That's the ultimate test of integrity.
In Bangalore, there's a man named Trivikrama Mahadeva whose work has quietly touched countless lives. He isn't a celebrity or a high-profile professional, yet his daily commitment is remarkable. Over the years, Trivikrama has performed the last rites and burials for over one lakh deceased individuals — unclaimed bodies, people without families, those forgotten by society.
His work doesn't follow a 9-to-5 schedule. Sometimes he gets calls at odd hours — late evening, early dawn. No matter the time, he goes to the location, collects the body, and carries out the burial or cremation with dignity.
Here's what makes Trivikrama extraordinary: there's no boss telling him what to do. No manager checking if he's really doing it. Yet he never fails to show up. He has complete freedom to decide when or how to do his job, yet he never misuses that freedom. He ensures every burial is done with respect and care — as if he's performing it for his own family member.
His self-driven honesty reflects genuine trustworthiness. We often talk about integrity in office jobs. But here is a person whose work is far from the spotlight — and still, he embodies integrity day after day. His actions remind us that real trustworthiness isn't about the job title or salary. It's about doing the right thing, consistently, because you believe in it. When no one else is looking, true character shines brightest.
Employee A vs. Employee B
| Employee A: Trustworthy | Employee B: Untrustworthy |
|---|---|
| Keeps promises, even when it's hard | Makes commitments but doesn't follow through |
| Admits mistakes immediately without excuses | Hides mistakes, blames others, makes excuses |
| Confronts colleagues who break rules | Stays silent when colleagues act unethically |
| Transparent about challenges and limitations | Hides information to close deals or avoid conflict |
| Follows rules even under pressure | Bends rules when under pressure or self-interest is involved |
| Works with the same integrity whether supervised or not | Performs differently when supervised vs. unsupervised |
Over time, Employee A earns trust, respect, and bigger responsibilities. Employee B may succeed in the short term, but eventually loses credibility and opportunities.
A real story: Gauri's choice
Gauri joined our company in 2016. She's taken a few breaks over the years — for pregnancy, child-rearing — but each time, she returned with the same commitment and loyalty.
One event revealed her true character. An old client — who'd worked with Gauri before — reached out to her directly when she wasn't employed with us. The client needed services and likely assumed Gauri would handle the job independently and pocket the payment herself.
But Gauri made a different choice. She served the client as usual, without cutting corners. And then she invoiced the transaction under our company's name, not her own.
She didn't profit personally. But she proved something far more valuable: her strong sense of integrity and loyalty. Because of moments like these, Gauri now manages some of our most important financial and compliance tasks. Not because she had fancy qualifications from the start, but because her trustworthiness stood out.
She began as an underconfident newcomer, unsure of her future. Today, she's become irreplaceable — all thanks to her unwavering commitment to honesty.
A quiet example: Arjun
In our organisation, there's Arjun, an office assistant who's been with us for eight years. He doesn't have a managerial title. But his trustworthiness is extraordinary.
If he sees someone bypassing rules, he doesn't hesitate to speak up. He ensures no one misuses office resources. He doesn't think, "I'm just an office boy — why should I care?" Instead, he shows that integrity isn't tied to your position. It's tied to your character.
Many times, I've seen colleagues more senior than him take note of his honesty and consult him on important details. It's a reminder that trustworthiness at any level can have a huge impact on team morale and work culture.
Being trustworthy also means not ignoring wrongdoing when you see it. Yes, it feels awkward to speak up if a colleague is bending the rules or inflating expenses. But staying silent means you're not truly supporting the workplace's ethical standards. When you bravely address such problems, you show that fairness matters. Your colleagues learn that wrong behaviour won't be tolerated — which makes the work environment more honest and less stressful for everyone.
Why do professionals lack trustworthiness?
If integrity is so valuable, why do so many professionals struggle with it?
- Short-term thinking: They prioritise immediate gains over long-term credibility. Cutting corners feels easier in the moment, but it erodes trust over time.
- Pressure and fear: Under stress, people panic. They think bending the rules will save them. But it usually creates bigger problems later.
- Lack of role models: If you've never seen integrity modelled consistently, it's harder to practice it yourself.
- Self-interest over team interest: When personal gain conflicts with organisational values, many choose themselves. They rationalise it as "everyone does it."
- No consequences for dishonesty: In some workplaces, unethical behaviour goes unpunished. This creates a culture where integrity feels optional.
But here's the truth: trustworthiness is never optional if you want lasting success.
The cost of lost integrity
When you compromise your integrity, you don't just lose trust — you lose opportunities, relationships, and peace of mind. I've seen senior executives lose major clients because they hid crucial information. I've watched talented professionals get sidelined because they couldn't be trusted with confidential projects. I've coached managers whose teams fell apart because no one believed their promises anymore.
Rebuilding trust is far harder than maintaining it. One moment of dishonesty can erase years of good work.
Howard Gardner's four mirror tests
Harvard psychologist Howard Gardner, known for his research on multiple intelligences and, separately, his work on cultivating an ethical mind, suggests four signposts to check and improve our trustworthiness. I use these as a diagnostic in my own leadership programs:
- Mission Test: What do you want to achieve with your work? Whether you're a teacher, accountant, salesperson, or designer — what's your purpose? A clear mission keeps you aligned with your values, even under pressure.
- Role Models Test: Who do you follow? Positive role models show you the right attitude, ethics, and behaviour to emulate. Negative role models teach you what to avoid. Choose your influences carefully.
- Personal Mirror Test: Look at yourself in the mirror. Can you say with complete honesty that you're working with 100% transparency? Are you cutting corners, or doing the right thing even when it's hard?
- Professional Mirror Test: How are you treating people who are trustworthy and loyal in your organisation? Are you recognising their contributions? And are you confronting individuals who are causing harm or acting unethically? If you're a manager, this is your responsibility.
These four tests are not one-time exercises. They're daily reflections. Keep asking yourself these questions, and you'll build a strong ethical foundation.
How to develop integrity and trustworthiness
Trustworthiness isn't an inherent trait — it's a habit you build through consistent practice.
- Start with small promises. Keep every commitment, no matter how small. If you say you'll send an email by 3 PM, send it by 3 PM. Small actions build your reputation over time.
- Admit mistakes immediately. Don't wait. Don't deflect. Don't make excuses. Own your errors openly and focus on fixing them. People respect honesty far more than perfection.
- Speak up against wrongdoing. If you see something unethical, don't stay silent. Address it directly and respectfully. Your courage sets the tone for others.
- Do the right thing when no one is watching. This is where true integrity lives. Follow the same standards whether you're supervised or working alone.
- Align your actions with your values. Write down your core values. Then audit your behaviour. Are your daily actions consistent with what you say you believe?
- Build a circle of accountability. Surround yourself with people who hold you to high standards. Ask trusted colleagues or mentors to give you honest feedback on your integrity.
- Use the "Front-Page Test." Before making a decision, ask yourself: If this were on tomorrow's front page, would I be proud? If the answer is no, reconsider your choice.
Final reflection
Integrity is the foundation of everything else. Without it, your skills don't matter. Your intelligence doesn't matter. Your ambition doesn't matter. Because if people can't trust you, they won't follow you. They won't do business with you. They won't promote you. They won't recommend you.
But when you consistently show up with honesty, transparency, and courage — even when it's hard — you build something far more valuable than any promotion or pay raise. You build a reputation. And a reputation built on integrity is unshakeable.
Mr. Deshmukh never knew, back in that Pune classroom, that a frustrated, detained student would grow up to teach this exact lesson to a thousand corporate leaders. But that's how integrity works — it plants itself quietly and grows for decades. If you want to see how this trait connects to the other 24 traits that make up the Winning Kite, explore the complete KITE Leadership Framework, or browse our full library of corporate training topics.
So here's my question for you: When no one is watching, who are you? Because that's who you really are.
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Avinash Chate TEDx Speaker · Founder, The Future Corporate · Author of Stars at India Inc. Avinash has trained the Indian Army, BRO, RBI, BARC, JSW Steel and 1000+ corporate leaders across India. His work focuses on leadership, emotional intelligence and behavioural training rooted in Indian values and modern business needs. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Mr. Anandrao Deshmukh in Avinash Chate's story?
Mr. Anandrao Deshmukh was the Head of Department at Avinash Chate's college in Pune, known campus-wide for his unbending strictness about rules and punctuality. He once detained Avinash for low attendance, with no exceptions made for anyone.
What is the lesson behind the Mr. Deshmukh story?
What felt like harsh, inflexible rule-following in college was actually integrity in action. Mr. Deshmukh held everyone to the same standard regardless of who they were, and that consistency — not cruelty — is what made him genuinely trustworthy.
Where does Integrity and Trustworthiness sit on the Winning Kite framework?
Integrity and Trustworthiness is Trait #5 on the EQ (left) side of the Winning Kite. It is the foundation trait — without it, the RQ and PQ sides of your kite cannot hold, because no one trusts a person who bends the rules.
How can I build integrity and trustworthiness at work?
Start with small promises and keep every one of them. Admit mistakes immediately without excuses. Speak up against wrongdoing. Do the right thing when no one is watching. Use Howard Gardner's four mirror tests — Mission, Role Models, Personal Mirror, Professional Mirror — as a daily check.
Related Articles by Avinash Chate
- How to Identify Non-Performing Employees: 4 Types to Know
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- Arjun the Office Assistant: The Man Who Taught Me That Integrity Has No Job Title
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