It was at one of those more relaxed company functions that an executive shared a story with a peer group. The story centered around said executive's wonderful getaway and a special dinner that was shared with a group of strangers. The punchline of the story was that this individual totally lied their way through the meal, making up details about their life, career and family.
On a completely separate occasion, a different leader confided in me in that one of their special skills was that they were "sneaky" and then went on to describe about winning a game by cheating.
While I continued to work with both individuals, I did not trust them again. When I was told something that was supposedly fact, I felt I needed to doublecheck what they told me to assure I was getting the true story.
Both of these individuals told their stories with a certain air of superiority ("See what I can get away with?") and they missed the very important fact that in the end, their behavior and their stories subjugated them to suspicion and even derision.
People who have demonstrated a disregard for the truth and fair play cannot be trusted as team players and as leaders they do not position their teams in a safe, or ultimately, profitable place. There have been multiple occasions that I have witnessed teams in which the leader was not ethical. Once the team got wind of this, the leader's behavior became the focus of the team vs. the team's mission within the community and company. Despite the fact that much time has passed, when I think of the two individuals referenced above, I don't immediately think of their accomplishments, but instead, I think regretfully upon their lack of ethical prowess.
As leaders, it is our charter to lead. Leaders who engage in sneakiness, untruths or even half truths are wasting a valuable resource. While they may think they are being superior, ultimately their teams will learn to distrust them and will not want to follow them. Conversely, leaders who engage in the truth and have a high degree of ethics are not only creating a safe environ for their teams, but they are also the professionals that people truly want to follow.
Truth is a powerful, foundational tool. Yes, sometimes it is challenging or inconvenient; consistently, however, it is a force that drives a team forward.
Brent Frerichs is the author of "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" available for e-readers, Macs, IPads, IPhones and PCs on Amazon Kindle.
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