Authenticity in the Age of Transparency

The old saying "Never put anything in writing that you're not prepared to see on the front page of the newspaper" is more true today than ever.  Now they tell us "The Internet is written in ink".  Once released into cyberspace, things never go away.

If you don't believe it, just ask any of the diplomats whose confidential cables are getting published this week around the world on WikiLeaks.  Just ask anyone whose private conversations are played in court.  Just ask any executive whose business musings ended up getting used against him or her.  Believe it.  You know it's true.

The answer is to write and say things you are prepared to see in the newspaper.

If you speak your truth consistently, you should not have a problem with who sees it.  We've been told this for years:

"Never say anything behind someone's back that you would not say to their face."

"Never tell a lie."

Only now, the odds are that sooner or later people will hear what you say about them and the lies will out.  You can still choose your truths, just know that almost everything is for public consumption eventually.

Read More Articles

How Mission Briefs Accelerate Progress by Clarifying Direction, Resources, Authority, and Follow-Through
How Mission Briefs Accelerate Progress by Clarifying Direction, Resources, Authority, and Follow-Through

Teams fail when direction is fuzzy, resources are ambiguous, or authority is blurred. Too often, leaders assign tasks without enough context for teams to make smart, independent decisions. The result?…

Read Article
How You Define Success as a Leader Defines You

By Mazher Ahmad, with George Bradt Every leader eventually faces a moment that forces them to ask a deceptively simple question: What does success really mean to me? In the…

Read Article
The Power And Danger Of Unintended Messages

This past Saturday morning, I stopped at a sandwich shop in Misquamicut, Rhode Island, looking forward to a simple breakfast to start the day right. But before I reached the…

Read Article
The Difference Between Cultural, Strategic, Operational, Tactical, And Crisis Leadership

Leadership is about inspiring, enabling and empowering others to do their absolute best together to realize a meaningful and rewarding shared purpose. Nesting within that, CEOs, senior leaders, middle managers,…

Read Article
How Strategies And Tactics Should Merge When Time Is Of The Essence

knocked a hole from the kitchen to a bedroom and turned the bedroom into a play room for our kids our first weekend in the house.

Read Article