Fundamentals of Level Three Leadership

41. Honesty

Concept

Should executives be honest? That may seem like a simple question. Yet when one reads about the World Com, Enron, Madoff, Tyco, and Nestle scandals over the last several decades, it is clear that many executives are not. One could argue that much of marketing efforts overemphasize product or service good points and underemphasize the bad points. Read the fine print. Listen to the rapid talking at the end of the commercial. Do marketers attempt to persuade potential buyers by ignoring or even mis-stating research data on their products and services? Witness the history of marketing of tobacco, alcohol, sugar, and soda drinks. Does it pay to be honest?

Should you tell the truth? Or only when others need to know? What if others ...