11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Practical Lessons for Living Your Values, June 16, 2003
This review is from: The Integrity Advantage: How Taking the High Road Creates a Competitive Advantage in Business (Hardcover)
If this book had been titled, Leading with Integrity, I would have rated it as four stars. With that title, it's main weakness is in not providing enough advice on "how to" lead with integrity.
While The Integrity Advantage describes some benefits to being a person and an organization of integrity in business or in nonprofits, the evidence in the book is far from overwhelming that integrity is the best way to go. That's unfortunate, because acting with integrity provides many advantages not explicitly described in this book (such as creating positive word of mouth rather than negative word of mouth, attracting customer loyalty that enables you to survive when you make mistakes, involving more stakeholders to help you, and encouraging people to listen to one another and communicate better). Instead, you see some advantages of operating with integrity while being reminded that you'll sleep better at night, even if you make less money. I think a more compelling case can be made than this book does. My guess is that the reason behind this limitation in the book is that only a few executives seem to have been used as sources. I doubt if more than a dozen people are involved with an example, as opposed to a quote.
The best part of the book comes in a list of "What Integrity Looks Like -- Up Close":
"Little Things Count," "Find the White [When Others See Grey]," "You Mess Up, You 'Fess Up," "Create a Culture of Trust," "You Keep Your Word," "You Care about the Greater Good," "You're Honest but Modest," "You Act Like You're Being Watched," "You Hire Integrity," "You Stay the Course." Each part of the list is developed with at least one example from a prominent business leader and some quotes from others. There's also a brief summary at the end of each one.
Another valuable part of the book is in part three where you get tips on how to act on your desire to operate with integrity:
1. Take time to reflect before acting
2. Get ideas from others until you have a good one of what's needed
3. Consider the effects on those who will be affected
4. Start making changes in yourself
Warren Buffett's advice is the best part of this book. He points out that he hires for those with integrity, high intelligence and great energy. But the latter two characteristics don't help if you don't have the first one. I also liked Mitt Romney's example in the foreword of how people with similar values can end up failing if they don't make living their values with integrity a priority. The means count as much as the ends.
After you finish this book, look at the decisions and actions you will probably be called upon to make today. How can you make them with more integrity?
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A valuable book of values!, May 6, 2003
This review is from: The Integrity Advantage: How Taking the High Road Creates a Competitive Advantage in Business (Hardcover)
If you want to know how some of the most successful businessmen and women integrate integrity into how they hire employees, run their businesses, and guide their lives -- get this book. If you want to know why integrity is a real business asset -- get this book.
With interviews from some of the biggest names in the business world, Telford and Gostick have crafted a simple, effective roadmap to understanding integrity, understanding yourself, and understanding the tremendous power of integrity. Without being self-righteous or preachy, "The Integrity Advantage," provides sound, practical business advice that is needed more today than ever. Whether you're a CEO, a manager, or a manager-to-be, get this book.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
A must for everyone from CEO to hourly wage earner, August 11, 2010
This review is from: The Integrity Advantage: How Taking the High Road Creates a Competitive Advantage in Business (Hardcover)
What a refreshing book to read. I grew up in the 70's, where TV was clean, our parents didn't worry about us going out to play and values were ingrained in us. In today's world, we're bombarded with news about the crooked Wall Street Execs or the newest scam to steal our information from us. We start feeling it's okay to let our morals slip a little. After reading this book, I realize that we can hold ourselves to a higher standard. Integrity is important in this day and age. We need to stop making excuses and very simply "do the right thing". I love this book and I recommend it so highly that I feel everyone should read it and it should be a requirement for high school graduation. Integrity is that important for the success of our society.
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