The Honest Leader
A place to ask the big questions about honesty, authenticity and the challenges of leadership
“ the question of choosing deception or honesty is not one of ethics, but of wellbeing and the integrity of our social fabric. Each time someone chooses to lie, no matter how small or seemingly inconsequential, a thread unravels. No big reveal that deception has occurred is necessary, no treachery named, no betrayal felt, no punishment to the deceiver doled out – it is the act itself that harms.”
Read more at https://psyche.co/ideas/be-honest-little-white-lies-are-more-harmful-than-you-think
The Big Wigs Were Never a Disguise: What Dolly Parton Got Right About Authentic Leadership
Dolly Parton spent her whole career leaning into artifice — the wigs, the rhinestones, the surgery. So why did she feel more "real" than almost anyone in public life?
It wasn't that she felt free to "be herself." That kind of freedom is usually a privilege of money, fame, and power. Plenty of leaders have it and still come across as fake.
Dolly's authenticity came from somewhere else: an almost total absence of the gap most of us carry between how we see ourselves and how we're afraid others see us.
I hope this email finds you well: Authenticity pitfalls and AI
Leaders are finding efficient ways to use ChatGPT and other LLMs to craft their emails, from the everyday to the enterprise-level communication. But we need to be aware of the authenticity pitfalls that come with this practice.
Getting Real About White Lies and Omissions
We might see white lies and omissions as harmless - the secret sauce to good relationships at work and otherwise. A closer look reveals why this is not always the case.
When Honesty Goes Wrong: Three Lessons from MillerKnoll’s CEO
Andi Owens, CEO of MillerKnoll used an impassioned and honest mic-drop moment at the end of a company town hall. It went very, very wrong. Three honesty lessons from this leadership communication disaster.