Integrity: The Courage to Meet the Demands of Reality Hardcover - 2006 - 1st Edition

Integrity. It is more than simple honesty. It's the key to success. A person with integrity has the -- often rare -- ability to pull everything together, to make it all happen no matter how challenging the circumstances.Drawing on experiences from his work with Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, and individual leaders, Dr. Henry Cloud, a clinical psychologist and nationally syndicated radio host, shows how our character can keep us from achieving all we want to (or could) be.In Integrity, Dr. Cloud explores the six qualities of character that define integrity. He uses stories from well-known business leaders like Michael Dell and sports figures like Tiger Woods to illustrate each of these qualities. He shows us how people with integrity:Are able to connect with others and build trustAre oriented toward realityFinish wellEmbrace the negativeAre oriented toward increaseHave an understanding of the transcendent Success is not related to only talent or brains. There are a lot of bright, talented people who are never successful. And the most successful are not only the ones with the most talent. The real factor, Cloud demonstrates, is the makeup of the person. All of us can grow in the kinds of real character that bring about fruitful relationships and achievement of purpose, mission, and goals. Integrity is not something that you either have or don't, but instead is an exciting growth path that all of us can engage in and enjoy.

My friend, being the obsessive mother that she is, asked me for a favor.

In this path-breaking book, Dr. Henry Cloud shows what integrity is, how it is lived in everyday experience, and what one must do to determine whether you are perceived as someone with character and integrity.
Central to question of integrity is whether a person has the courage to face up to reality. Cloud shows how the ability to address adversity, to learn lessons from it, and adjust one's behavior is a greater determinant of success than brains or talent or charm.
He shows that successful leaders have competencies, alliances and, most important, character. Then he examines exactly what behaviors constitute character and how they are expressed in real life situations.
Assessing and building the six essential qualities of character is the goal of this book. It will be used widely by a range of people because the things he identifies apply equally across regions, cultures and classes.