Is it just me?

Integrity. What is it? What does it mean? How do you get it and does it really exist?
For months now I have listened to to various pundits/politicians talk on the radio/TV and I am told how men at the top within politics, banks, civil service etc are men of "great integrity".
Only last week I hear Shane Coleman, a journalist whom I would have respect for, told listeners to Newstalk's Lunchtime show, how Kevin Cardiff , the Secretary General of the Dept. of Finance, was a man of great integrity.
This got me thinking. What does integrity mean. I hear it being bandied about all the time but I cannot put my finger on the pure essence of it as the interpretation that I understand does not seem to apply to these people whom have been labelled with it.
Having integrity to me would mean that if mistakes or errors were made that I am paid to be responsible for, I would do the honourable thing and accept the responsibility and resign. I would fall on my sword for the good of the organisation that I represent.
This kind of integrity does not exist on these islands. Mr Cardiff was present on the night of the most disastrous error any politician/ civil servant has ever made in this country and yet instead of saying Mea Culpa, he carries on as if nothing untoward has happened. Where was this "great integrity" that Shane Coleman spoke of. I am just misinterpreting the meaning. Is there anyone out there who knows what it means?
Are people too free with labelling someone as a person with integrity. It's like respect. I always believed that respect had to be earned. Should a person have to earn the right by his deeds to show he has integrity. I don't know Kevin Cardiff, so should I not judge him by the actions I have seen to determine whether he has integrity or not. Or if you are going to say that someone is a person of integrity that you at least give us an example of the deeds or actions that led to this belief.
Any thoughts are welcomed.