Dr. Henry Cloud was asked by a friend what it takes to be successful. He came up with three initial things:
- First, you have to have some set of competencies. You must know your field, your industry, your discipline etc. You can only fake it for so long, so master your craft.
- Second, you have to be an alliance builder. You have to be able to take your competencies and build alliances with others who have competencies and resources and form relationships that are mutually beneficial. As a result, they leverage what they do well to much greater heights than just being “good” at their job. They create alliances that make things a lot bigger.
- Lastly, you have to have the character not to screw it up. Who a person is will ultimately determine if their brains, talents, competencies, energy, effort, deal-making abilities and opportunities will succeed. Ethical functioning is a part of character, but not all of it. And it certainly is not all of what affects whether someone is successful or becomes a great leader.
Over the next several weeks I will be exploring and writing about the principles from Henry Cloud’s book “Integrity” which he defines as the courage to meet the demands of reality. We will go much deeper than just ethical functioning as we explore the kind of integrity and character that is required to become more successful and a better leader. I hope you enjoy!