Honesty: The Path from Willful Blindness to Enlightened Leadership

How honest are you with yourself and others?

Honesty came up in a recent dinner conversation with a former diplomat as we were talking about public and private philanthropy. I loved the way he articulated the importance of honesty, and whether countries are truly honest about their intentions when it comes to foreign investment and development aid.

The Value of Honesty

There is of course a time for being judicious with the truth. Likewise, ambiguity can be useful, particularly in negotiations. However, it is wonderfully refreshing when people are honest. When intentions are clear and out in the open, you know where you stand. You can more easily decide whether and how you want to engage. You can determine where your lines and boundaries are, and how to manage them.

Honesty enables clarity and supports agency. It also releases time and energy that is otherwise wasted in wondering, interpreting, doubt and all the emotions that come with not knowing where we stand. This energy can be directed towards relationship deepening, creativity and doing the work!

This is true in the philanthropic field, in business, and also in our personal lives. And it is certainly true in leadership.

Embracing honesty isn't just about being morally upright; it is strategically useful. Honesty builds trust, sets the stage for genuine connection and collaboration, cultivates a culture in which open dialogue and innovation can thrive, and it creates resilience in self, organisation and relationships - something that is vital in times of uncertainty and change.

The First Step

The first step of course is to be honest with ourselves.

Are you?

Take a situation or challenge you are working on, and consider the following.

• Are you clear and honest about your true aims and intentions?
• Are you clear and honest with yourself about what you need and want?
• Are you clear and honest with yourself about what others might need and want?
• Are you clear and honest about the larger purpose and picture that you, your work, your team, your organisation are a part of?
• Are you being honest about what success looks like?
• Are ready and willing to name the things that limit and impede progress?

We all have a tendency to willful blindness in certain areas. It can serve us in the short term to not see things we don't want to see. But it is unlikely to serve in the longer term.

Challenges on the Path to Honesty

It isn't easy. There are genuine challenges when it comes to honesty.

• Navigating Sensitive Information: Leaders often handle confidential or sensitive information that cannot be shared openly with everyone. Deciding what to share, with whom, and when, without compromising honesty or transparency, requires careful judgment.
• Balancing Honesty with Care and Diplomacy: Leaders must balance being truthful with being diplomatic. Honesty can sometimes be harsh or demoralizing, particularly when it involves criticism or negative feedback. Finding a way to communicate truthfully while also being constructive and sensitive to others' feelings is a delicate balance.
• Fear of Conflict or Unpopularity: Honesty can lead to conflict, disagreement, or even temporary unpopularity. Leaders might fear that being honest about difficult decisions, such as layoffs or changes in strategy, will lead to dissent or diminish their standing among their team or stakeholders.
• Maintaining Morale: Sharing challenging truths can sometimes impact team/organisational morale. Leaders have to manage the tension between being honest about the difficulties facing an organization and keeping people motivated and engaged.
• Personal Vulnerability: Honesty often requires leaders to admit to mistakes, acknowledge their limitations, or share personal thoughts and feelings. This vulnerability can be challenging, as it goes against the traditional image of leaders as always confident, infallible figures that know the answers.
• Long-Term vs. Short-Term Interests: Leaders are often faced with the challenge of balancing short-term interests with long-term goals. Being honest about the long-term challenges and sacrifices required for future success can be difficult, especially when people are focused on short-term needs and goals.
• Cultural and Organizational Barriers: In some organisational cultures, there may be an underlying distrust of transparency or a preference for maintaining a facade of success. In such cultures, ambiguity may serve some at the expense of others and realising the larger purpose of the organisation. Changing such a culture to embrace honesty is a non-trivial challenge for leaders.
• Legal and Ethical Considerations: There are situations where legal constraints or ethical considerations limit how much a leader can disclose. Navigating these constraints while trying to remain as open and honest as possible can be complex.
• Risk of Misinterpretation: Leaders must consider the risk that their honesty might be misinterpreted or taken out of context. Communicating complex truths requires skill and care to ensure the intended message is understood correctly.
• Personal Cost: Finally, there can be a personal cost to honesty. People who prioritize truth over expediency may face professional risks, such as losing their job, damaging their reputation, or facing public criticism.

Despite these challenges, honesty is not only a powerful way of being, doing and leading, it is also a strategic lever for change.

The Enlightened Path

Imagine the possibilities that could unfold if we approached every interaction with honesty and openness about our intentions.

Imagine a world where leaders in business and society wield honesty not as a weapon, but as a tool for building bridges. Where intentions are not hidden but are shared openly, fostering a sense of shared purpose and inviting partnership and collaboration.

This is the kind of world I want to create and live in.

“No legacy is so rich as honesty.” ~ William Shakespeare

As leaders, it is incumbent on us to embody the principles and behaviours we wish to see in the world. Let's lead with honesty, inspiring others to follow suit. After all, in a world that celebrates ambiguity and where truth is increasingly difficult to discern, choosing to be a beacon of clarity and honesty is truly a revolutionary act.

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