Truth or Truthyness, The Need for Ethical Leadership

Work environments can be very challenging, balancing the internal personnel with all the external customers and suppliers. Everyday you’re putting yourself on the line for that company’s benefit, but are you working with ethical people? When you look at companies that inflate their sales, provide information that’s inaccurate to stockholders, or cover up problems that are harming their employees, consumers or the environment; who’s responsible and who pays the price? Enron, Tyco, WorldCom and Adelphia are examples, where dishonesty was the tool of greed that committed fraud.

Distorted facts are not always obvious at first, but when fraud and deception are the reflection, that mirror image will haunt you. Arrogance and manipulation dictate with double standards like, ”do as I say, not as I do.” This inconsistent behavior results in hypocrisy that causes so much underlying hostility in our society. Every time someone misrepresents the facts, the mind does a double take on what’s real and what was said. It’s similar to keeping two sets of books, the correct version and the bogus set which causes internal stress that increases with every lie told. Think about the person that is always blaming others for their issues and has numerous excuses why goals have not been accomplished. Their derogatory words are constantly shifting blame away from themselves, towards others. But when you listen closely, you hear the contradictions. Verbal clutter causes congestion by those that like to create chaos to either cover their tracks or spin you around so you lose track. When transparency is missing, so is the truth.

Do you have the ability to see through the individual facades that are speaking or do you just take words at face value? When you listen and wonder, “can I believe what they’re saying,” that gut instinct is telling you, “”some thing’s wrong.”" Words can be truthful and positive or dishonest and rude. Our mind comprehends honest information with clarity and our sense of being feels good about the interaction. When it doesn’t make sense, that’s when the conversation is filled with excuses and /or contradictions, waving that red flag of deception. The short-term gain received from dishonesty is a fraction of what they really want and they don’t hold onto it for very long, cause it was not theirs to begin with. How many times can someone lie to you before they’re not worth your time? When people fall backwards to create more lies and cover ups, that’s when logic goes out the window. It’s similar to listening to music that has annoying distortion, you don’t want to hear it, so you tune it out. When you value integrity, you have a clear sense of pride and respect. Those values echo in everything you do and relates to your success on a daily basis. Decisions are prioritized by keeping the big picture in perspective, thinking through intentions and understanding how your choices effect everyone involved. The realization is the incentive, the more things we do right the first time, the less time we spend fixing mistakes.

Training for the gold in any business requires consistency, determination and integrity. Words create the path our actions take and it starts with every CEO and supervisors at every level; professors, teachers and parents, setting the example that perspective should always be objective and clarity comes with verifying the information. Be the catalyst that you want your associates to be and train them on how to make appropriate decisions by keeping goals in perspective. Using our mind in a positive constructive way, sequences our brain with finding real solutions that benefit everyone involved. When you’re working with people you trust, the foundation is strong and the accomplishments will exceed expectations.

There are no degrees of honesty, you either are or you’re not. Truth stands the test of time and doesn’t need excuses. We become more in-tune with detecting when someone is bending and weaving reality by taking the time to listen. When you hear conflicting information, bring both people together in the same room. It’s amazing how often the story changes, when they’re sitting across from one another and you can hear who alters their version. Don’t give dishonesty an easy road to take because you assume. We gain a panoramic view with much clearer awareness when we take the time to verify.

Our conscience is our guide when we do the right things for the right reasons and we truly care about the people involved. Give yourself some checks and balances like “would I want my mother or brother to see what I just did on the morning news?” Try visualizing the possibilities, evaluate the situation, think about the outcome and the consequences your actions will cause before making your choice. We choose our direction by the decisions we make, it can be peaceful or problematical.

Peace of Mind comes with knowing the truth and that compliments the best qualities we see in each other. Be true to yourself, so you can see and hear the truth in others. We can’t expect more from someone else, than we do from ourselves. This consciousness holds the greatest value, when we know for sure whom we can trust. If there’s any doubt in your mind, take the time to clarify. It’s your life, your future and your company’s stock prices. The truth has a way of making us stronger and keeping us real, so our mind can focus on what’s important and we can be most effective.

Excerpt from the new book Peace of Mind coming out early 2008

Susan Elaine Wheeler’s fascination with human nature started at a very young age, always asking the question why. Why do people do the things they do? Studying the cause and effect of our personalities and environments determine our behaviors and the decisions we make. Susan’s career successes include owning her marketing company AMPS, doing National Sales, creating Professional Accounts in Hollywood and this year starting a new company, Creative Perspective Solutions. CPS working with individuals and companies that want to accelerate excellence by maximizing their potential through effective communications.

(c) 2007 Creative Perspective Solutions

Visit Susan’s website to learn more about her.

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