In leadership, the means is just as important as the ends ….

Last week, I was catching up with my JC friend and our conversation turned to the topic of leadership at the workplace. My friend was sharing how he (and his current colleagues) had become increasingly disillusioned at work as they realize that their boss was less than honest with them about many things.

This realization came about at a recent town hall when what was said did not gel with what was said previously. When the contradiction was pointed out, the response became increasingly convoluted as the boss tried to cover one lie with more lies which further contradicted other things he had said and done in the past. Needless to say, morale in the company is now at an all-time low and many have started looking for other employment.

I shared that, in my opinion, leadership in any organization is built upon trust. Employees must trust that their leaders mean what they say and will do what they mean. Without trust, leadership is impossible and it will only be a matter of time before the organization implodes.

The test of leadership comes when what needs to be said/done is unpopular or goes against the self-interest of the leader. In this fight or flight situation, the poor leader will choose flight and tell lies for expediency. The poor leader will self-rationalize his actions by claiming…