The Integrity Advantage

Book excerpt: With The Integrity Advantage, Adrian Gostick and Dana Telford establish a burning platform-that personal integrity is a proven competitive advantage in business. Prominent business leaders from some of North America's most respected companies-including Don Graham of the Washington Post, former Johnson & Johnson CEO James Burke, and Hank Paulson, Jr. of Goldman Sachs-discuss the role integrity has played in their successes, and offer examples of the importance of integrity in business today. Not merely a collection of essays, the authors also share an effective system of decision-making designed to help anyone implement integrity into every action. The importance of trust and credibility within business relationships is examined and discussed, as Telford and Gostick illustrate how to juggle wealth, power, and responsibility-and be a person of character. Given the recent uncertainty fostered by questionable corporate tactics, however, now is the time to examine whatrole integrity actually plays in business today, and whether employees are naturally compelled to practice these values-particularly when the leaders they follow lack integrity in their own professional behavior.Dana Telford holds an MBA from Harvard University and has advised business leaders in the consumer banking, healthcare, publishing, retail, manufacturing, and real estate industries. He has developed and implemented strategies for client companies based all over the world. Helives in Morgan, Utah. Adrian Gostick is director of marketing and corporate communications with the O.C. Tanner Recognition Company. His previous books include Managing with Carrots and The 24-Carrot Manager, co-authored with Chester Elton. He lives in Salt Lake City.