Great headline isn’t it? That’s because it’s actually the title of a book by Dr. Henry Cloud. And while all of us will react to the word “integrity” with a definition of “being honest,” it goes far beyond that. A person with integrity, Cloud writes, “has the ability to pull everything together, to make it all happen, no matter how challenging the circumstances.”

Integrity, he writes, will ultimately determine if a person with brains, talent, competencies, energy, effort and deal making abilities and opportunities will succeed. There are those with all those things who WON’T succeed. The “linchpin,” as it were, is their character and the extent of their integrity.

So what is integrity? As we’ve all heard, if the only tool you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. Cloud is one of the leading authorities in America on “boundaries,” both personal and business boundaries. He claims, and rightly so I think, that everything and everyone runs or doesn’t run based on the strength and flexibility of boundaries - which are related directly to self-esteem issues and other things. If a CEO for instance, can’t see that a star performer is none-the-less violating the boundaries of the workplace, he may fail to realize the reality of the situation, and be reluctant to take action to correct the transgression. Ultimately he’ll lose good performers and employees because he’s not in touch with the reality of the situation.

Cloud is very specific about reality, and boundaries. And while many managers and CEO’s may say, “I’m not a therapist, it’s not my role, job or duty to play therapist in the workplace,” the reality is, 90% of what happens in the work place is people related. You take steps to fix machinery when it breaks. Why not fix the investment you have in personnel by addressing the human element of the workplace? This is where Cloud comes in. His book is not a laundry list of things you can do to succeed. Rather, it’s a detailed, difficult and challenging request to leaders to look at the six qualities they need to be a success, to have integrity.

My favorite is the sixth quality: “When you’re small, you’re bigger.”

He opens the chapter with the old story of a Navy warship that was headed through the fog one night when a distant light appears directly in their heading.

The ship’s captain gets on the radio and says, “Calling the vessel on the 220 heading. Adjust your course 30 degrees immediately. The reply comes back, “no, you adjust.” The Captain, a bit ticked off, says, “I am an Admiral in the U.S. Navy. Who are you?” The voice says, “I’m an ensign in the U.S. Coast Guard.” The Captain says, “Then I suggest you adjust course.” The ensign replies, “No, you adjust.” The Admiral says, “We are a U.S. Navy warship. Adjust.” The ensign replies, “We are a lighthouse.”

Get the picture? Some things are just bigger than we are, although they may not initially appear so, and may not be “bigger” in terms of the usual terms (Admiral v Ensign for instance). If we consider people, events and situations only in the light in which they appear to US, then we not only have no character, we fail to ever be in a position where we can see, appreciate and leverage the big picture.

Cloud gives several excellent case studies of businesses who fell back on character rather than size, who became smaller, not bigger and gained consumer trust as a result. The primary study was Johnson & Johnson’s Tylenol product. After one deranged person poisoned and ultimately killed several consumers by putting something in a bottle of Tylenol in Chicago, the company could have said, “This is limited to Chicago, we’ll let our insurance handle it.” But instead they pulled ALL their product everywhere. They put their size (bigger) aside and focused on the individuals who might be harmed, Cloud pointed out. They got the big picture - something they couldn’t do if they focused only on being the warship.

I’m rereading it, and will most likely purchase a copy (a rarity for me) since this is a library book. I highly, highly, highly recommend it, and ANY of the books on boundaries that Cloud has written. They are all excellent. He writes for families, boundaries for parents of teens, boundaries in relationships, boundaries in general and is just a brilliant psychologist and author.

In the meantime, I find comfort in the feeling of being vindicated - reading that Cloud believes what I have always said, that if your people are dysfunctional your workplace will be too. We spend so much time hiring and interviewing for skills, competencies and abilities that we forget to look at character, mental health, whether a person has good boundaries and people skills. Saying, “I’m a team player,” doesn’t cut it. Demonstrating that you can experience conflict with co-workers and reach an amicable agreement or resolution; or that you can say “No,” to tasks or requests that you can appropriately and honestly say aren’t your responsibility (like covering for a co-worker who is repeatedly behind or unprepared) and that you will chose the right course rather than the course which will please a manager or co-worker, are just as valuable characteristics.

Allowing others to suffer the consequences of their actions; knowing when and how to make and enforce unpopular decisions; being able to face the reality, accept responsibility, and leave a “wake” of good decisions and effects behind you as you move through life are important traits of a leader. Can you do that?