C-suite leaders who demonstrate integrity also are the ones who perform particularly well, but a few rungs down the corporate ladder, a staffer’s level of integrity has little correlation with performance. - Mitchell Tsai

While integrity topped the list for high-level executives, for middle managers it came behind social intelligence as a predictor of good performance. - Mitchell Tsai

That’s likely because middle managers spend more time navigating both subordinates and their own bosses, and so need to be particularly adept at reading social cues and managing office politics — even more than they need to pay attention to their perceived ethical acumen. That could signal risks for companies where middle managers are moving up the ranks.. Since integrity has little bearing on performance at lower levels of management, someone who’s promoted based on performance may be caught unprepared once they reach the top ranks. - Mitchell Tsai