Living a Life of Integrity - Book Review

Dr. Henry Cloud's book Integrity - The courage to meet the demands of reality) (Harper Collins, 2006)

Critical to our character development and success in all areas of life is our long-term commitment to building and sustaining our personal and professional integrity. The following is a synopsis of Dr. Henry Cloud seminal book in this regard that outlines the essential qualities and core skills that determine our path and legacy.

Essential qualities need to live a life of integrity.

1.      The ability to connect authentically (which leads to trust)

2.      The ability to be oriented toward the truth (which leads to finding and operating in reality)

3.      The ability to work in a way that gets results and finishes well (which leads to reaching goals, profits or the mission)

4.      The ability to embrace, engage and deal with the negative (which leads to ending problems, resolving them or transforming them)

5.      The ability to be oriented toward growth (which leads to increase)

6.      The ability to be transcendent (which leads to enlargement of the bigger picture and oneself)

An ongoing commitment to ever increasing self-awareness, vulnerability, accountability, humility, courage and perseverance will enable us to develop the integrity needed to embrace the realities of opportunities life brings our way.