How to develop leaders of integrity

Every so often you come across a book or find a book that really hits. I found this in the book by Henry Cloud 'Integrity', so much so that I taught a whole class of ethics based on it. This class was exceptionally well received and many students have decided to write a letter to Dr. Cloud thanking him for his insights. Here is a summary of what a reader can find in the book and learn about Integrity by Henry Cloud.

Henry Cloud discusses the many challenges facing institutions today. The force is a prerequisite for achieving the objectives. Strangely, many people hit performance ceilings that are below their capacity. Occasionally, employees successfully and fail almost simultaneously. Despite the hardship, it is important to establish trust through the heart and true passion for the job. Difficult problems are solved in an organization by focusing on them dispassionately and applying an interactive approach and disciplined in a consistent manner until the successful resolution is reached.

Prevention can be very destructive because opportunities do surface. A disciplined approach will provide the care required to seize opportunities when they arise and solve problems in a constructive manner with a minimum of organizational tension. This is also much further with the Performance IQ ® system used in my company to assess the ability of performance across the organization's workforce. Based on this knowledge, interventions, such as coaching and training, can be designed, directed to one or more of the twelve drivers we evaluate and then implemented using modern teaching methods.

Dr. Cloud explains that "integrity" as he uses the term, is much more simple "honesty". Throughout the book, which separates and illuminates six essential qualities and character traits that lead to success in business. He describes the character desirable. . .

1) Create and maintain confidence

2) You can see and face reality

3) Work in a way that brings results

4) embraces negative realities and solves them

5) The causes of growth and increased

6) obtained for transcendence and meaning of life

The six dimensions are well sequenced and are related. Ignorance or failure of a global dimension can lead to failure. The "gap" in a person who lacks the completeness of the character is intended to cause a failure in three specific ways: (p. 38):

1. Hitting ceiling performance is much lower than those aptitude

2. Hitting an obstacle or situation that derails

3. Reaching great success only to destroy themselves and lose everything.

"You will see how these character traits supersede gifts, talents and abilities, and how can those who have and those who do not ultimately fail." (Page xii) Speaking with a wealthy businessman who is a personal friend, Dr. Cloud heard his friend comment on how you choose to invest their money in enterprises.

"I did not invest in these companies. I invested in people. I never invest in companies that do not know anything, but I invest in a person. If I know their character, their history, how they work, what kind of judgment that have What kind of risks are acceptable to them, how they run, and things like that, and I know them well, I invest. But I do not buy companies that do not know anything. " (Pages 29-30)

At the beginning of this book, Dr. Cloud gives us his expanded definition of integrity as it applies to business:

"And, we can see the origins of the word in French and Latin meanings of intact, complete, full and whole. The concept means that` everything is working well, undivided, integrated, intact and uncorrupted. 'When we talk about integrity, we are talking to be a whole person, an integrated person, with all our different parts working well and provide functions that are designed to offer. It is thorough and effective as people. It 'is really `running on all cylinders. '"(page 31)

The author offers a clear and useful metaphor for the kind of impact that this type of person of integrity has on the lives of those with whom he or she interacts. Dr. Cloud posits that each of us as we move through the waters of life, leaving behind a trail like that left by boats as they pass through the ocean. There are two aspects of the "trail" that we leave behind - the tasks we have done and the relationships we have built. "We leave a trail of people behind us as we move if their lives and their organizations ...

So, we must ask ourselves: 'What the wake look like?' There are a lot of people out there skiing on the trail, smiling, with a great moment for our having `moved through their lives'? Or are there are dangling in the air, bleeding, wounded and left as shark bait? "(Page 18)

In building trust through connections, Cloud offers:

"The human heart will be known, understood, and connected above all else. If you do not connect, the ones that interest you will find someone who will." (Page 70)

Applying this principle only in most companies today, would dramatically reduce the cost of employee theft, turnover, recruitment, retention and succession planning. In the chapter `In touch with reality" Dr Cloud starts with the story of the CEO of a company of dog food that stubbornly tries all possible ways to increase sales of products of the company, except to find out what his customers want to end really. When I finally explained the CEO of an employee Sir "... I do not like dogs ", the reality finally dawns. dogs bark, but Reality Bites!

In sharing What People In Touch issue, Dr. Cloud recounts an incident that happened at a retreat for the CEO, when a young "superstars" were given the opportunity to receive feedback from a senior managing director.

"One of the more experienced guys looked at him and said, 'Do you want feedback?' He said in a way that left you wondering if it was wise to advise or train the young to be out to lunch in some way. There was just no way of knowing from his poker face. But I will not forget never immediate response of the young superstar. `By all means give me a gift. 'He saw the feedback, whatever it was, as a gift, because it might give him a reality that he did not know. I remember thinking,` We will be watching the realizations of this guy for a long period of time. '"(page 116)

Cloud then ratchets the significance of this insight, suggesting an exciting way for us to put this principle of inviting feedback for a practical test: "If you want to know your level of comfort in this matter, think about going to the people you work with or are close personal relationships with their permission and give 100 percent to be completely honest with you in answering the question: `What does being on the other side of me '" (pages 116-117)

Most business leaders know that there is something of value in this book that you can internalize and begin to implement immediately - ". Navigating their wake" for their own benefit and for the benefit of all those who are ...