Member-only story
Coffee with friends
A friend shared that his boss had lied to him at his last performance appraisal. He was told that he was not eligible for an award as he had passed the age criteria. My friend recently found out that someone older than him had received the same award he was denied. He is angry, hurt, and more importantly distrustful of anything else his boss tells him.
I know, as leaders, it is always easier to avoid telling the whole truth or to simply tell a white lie to soften negative news. But the reality is that telling the hard truth is like surgery to fix an injury. It may hurt for a while, but with a skilled surgeon the area will heal, there may be a small scar, and the patient is well.
Being less than truthful is like putting a plaster on the injury and hoping for it to heal on its own. The injury will likely feel okay but will continue to fester. And, if inadvertently poked, will flare up, become septic and kill the patient.
What I have also come to realize is that being less than truthful is not always about being kind to the officer. It is often because the leader is unable to explain or justify his actions and avoiding the truth is the easy way out.
No one said being a leader is easy. But if you accept the responsibility, wield your authority responsibly.
