The Integrity Dividend: Leading by the Power of Your Word (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"The Integrity Dividend is an exceptional work on a fundamental and oft-misunderstood subject in today’s global business environment."—Marshall Goldsmith, New York Times and Wall Street Journal #1 best selling author of What Got You Here Won’t Get You There

Product Description

Corporate and government scandals continue to deepen our mistrust of leaders. While credibility is the foundation of effective leadership, most leaders struggle, and sometimes fail, to align their words and their actions. Now for the first time, leadership expert Tony Simons has measured the bottom-line value of business leaders who live by their word and actually do what they say they are going to do. In The Integrity Dividend, Tony Simons shows how leaders personal integrity drives the profitability and overall success of their organization. This groundbreaking book is based in on solid research and reveals that businesses led by managers of higher integrity enjoy deeper employee commitment, lower turnover, superior customer service, and substantially higher profitability. This improved performance is the integrity dividend.

Simons conducted dozens of focus groups, surveyed thousands of employees, collected financial and operational numbers, and interviewed over 100 senior executives and executive coaches. The book lays out the research clearly and provides proven tools for managing common integrity challenges. It offers guidance for building individual credibility and for creating an organizational culture of integrity and accountability. Throughout, Simons uses real-world insight and stories drawn from senior executives, line managers, and coaches.

The Integrity Dividend is a fresh view of leadership at a time when it is most needed.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass (October 6, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 047018566X
• ISBN-13: 978-0470185667
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #621,033 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well-written, and completely applicable to current events..., October 11, 2008

By	Thomas Duff "Duffbert" (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Quite often I'll read a book that I think is very well done, with truths that resonate with me. But less often do I find that book at a time when it fits so well with current events. One such book is The Integrity Dividend: Leading by the Power of Your Word by Tony Simons. As we watch corporations and financial systems crumble under the weight of unethical and dishonest actions, Simons presents a truth that is too often neglected in the workplace. But even more, everything that you read here also applies to your personal life. I know I find myself falling woefully short in this area, and am convicted to change.

Contents:
Part 1 - What Is The Integrity Dividend?: The Dollar Value of Your Impeccable Word; Executive Sightings of the Integrity Dividend; Behavioral Integrity Drivers and Payoffs - Why Small Mistakes Can Have Big Costs
Part 2 - Managing Your Own Behavioral Integrity - Building Trust and Credibility: Promise Less, But Do It More Often; The Language of Living by Your Word - Confronting and Committing; Behavioral Integrity as a Personal Discipline
Part 3 - Behavioral Integrity and the Ripple Effect - Building and Sustaining a Leadership Culture of Integrity: Easing the Middle Manager's Dilemma; Creating a Culture of Accountability; Management Fashions and the Flavor-of-the-Month Club
Part 4 - Broader Applications and Summary: The Integrity Dividend and Outside Stakeholders; Capturing the Integrity Dividend
Notes; Acknowledgments and Dedication; About the Author; Index

In order to lead effectively, you have to have credibility. And in order to have credibility, you have to deliver on what you promise or say you will do, as well as behaving consistently with those words and promises. It's this premise on which The Integrity Dividend is based. Leaders in business (and really in all types of organizations) can only be effective if the people following them know that there is no gap between what you say and what you do. This type of leadership has many benefits, not the least of which is financial. Staff who know they can rely on their leadership to do as they say will be more loyal and effective in what they do. This translates to higher performance within the business, as well as more satisfied customers. The "corporation" also must have integrity, such as following through on promises they make to the public (like no-questions-asked guarantees). If the public finds that your actions are not consistent with the promises or image, then they will quickly find another company that is. Likewise, if you and the company are seen to have complete behavioral integrity between what you do and say, their loyalty will know few bounds.

Rather than keep everything on what could be a purely academic or theoretical level, Simons relates all his work back to actual real-life situations. This makes it very easy to follow his train of thought, and adds a level of credibility to his ideas. He's also not afraid to say that some areas have no good answers. For instance, a middle manager can often be stuck between a decision from on high that violates his personal views and positions. But ultimately, the choice quite often comes down to follow the decision because everyone needs to be on the same page, or leave your position because you're crossing a line that you will not violate. Unfortunately, there aren't always easy answers to problems, and Simons acknowledges that.

For me personally, I have been struggling with the "sure, I can do that" promise. Instead of saying no or setting realistic expectations, I say that I intend to do "x" in the near future. Then when I can't deliver because of over-commitment, I feel bad and the customer suffers. I have a lot of work to do on improving my behavioral integrity, and I appreciate the work that Tony Simons has done in The Integrity Dividend to help me in that area.

5.0 out of 5 stars Exponential Benefits of Leadership Founded on Integrity, September 27, 2009

By	Kathleen Betts - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

"The Integrity Dividend" by Tony Simons is about the exponential benefits of leadership founded on integrity. It certainly struck a chord with me when I read it. By systematically reviewing concepts of common decency and professionalism in leadership, Tony Simons brilliantly confirms what is so blatantly obvious about behavioural integrity that it is too often sadly overlooked with a detrimental effect that will percolate down through an entire organization. Essentially, if the people in your organization matter to you or if you care about your bottom line, there are some valuable lessons in this gem that will help you to become a leader of sound integrity. Hope you'll enjoy it.

4.0 out of 5 stars An important and enjoyable read, June 30, 2009

By	Chicago Rose - See all my reviews

Good old fashioned ethics seem to be in short supply today. This book makes the case that doing the right thing for your customers and employees is good for business. Although focused on the hospitality industry, the message and the examples are interesting and pertinent for all types of businesses. An enjoyable read that provides lots to think on.