Speaking the truth

Speaking the Truth Introduction In business, the core values of trust, honesty and communication need to be fostered for sustainability of competitive advantage. Leaders need to clearly communicate honesty so as to create learning, satisfying and respect-filled environment. Such core values concerning truth-telling could influence the vision of the organization and shape its attitudes and core values (Hillhouse, 2009). Subordinates’ fear remains one of the key barriers to truth in a majority of organizations.
During the pilot of a product from our organization, I stood up and spoke against the piloting due to wrong timing and I was the only one with such a view. The piloting committee, of which I was a member, was made of ten people. The launch of marketing the mass market product was undertaken at what I felt was the wrong time when schools were re-opening. I believed that people would be more focused on meeting schooling obligations and pay little attention to the product. Unfortunately, I was the only one in the team who saw the reality of the argument.
The consequences were undesirable. The chairman brushed off my arguments with hurtful sentiments therefore moving on to launch the product. Doubling as my manager, the chairman consequently treated me as an enemy fighting against him to a point where I could not bear anymore and resigned from the work. Despite Czech and Forward (2013) advocating for honesty in communicating to our superiors, I would not do it again.
My teacher once told me the hard truth. He told me that even though I read so many books alone, I was not guaranteed to top the class in my exams. I needed to discuss with my peers so as to get different perspectives and assistance for difficult problems. Since then, I treasure group discussions to supplement my reading.
I unwillingly bore the consequences of hitting my younger sibling when he accidentally poured tea on my book. My younger brother came to my study room with a cup of tea and insisted on seeing what I was writing while I denied him his demands. The subsequent scuffle saw him accidentally pour the tea that he was carrying on my book. I got angry and hit him. My mother responded to his cries and could not understand why I would hit my younger brother for a mistake he did not do intentionally. I was asked to apologize to my brother and clean the mess which I unwillingly did because I believed my brother was on the wrong.
Last holiday, I owned up to my failure as the captain of our soccer team. Whereas our opponents spent considerable time practicing, I never organized for adequate practice sessions for my team. We were beaten and had to accept the fact that I had not prepared the team well for the contest. Honesty in leadership produces positive results (Gilbert, Carr-Ruffino, Ivancevich & Konopaske, 2012). Indeed, following this confession, one of the internationally renowned coaches approached us to offer his services free of charge. This has seen us become the best team in the community.
Conclusion
Truth is an important aspect in communication. Nonetheless, subordinates often shy away from telling the truth to their supervisors for fear of undesirable consequences. Truth could hurt, and effective leaders should appreciate that honesty does not necessarily have to favor them. Accepting failures and taking responsibilities for mistakes done serve as the basis for undertaking effective corrective measures.
References
Czech, K. & Forward, G. L. (2013). Communication, leadership, and job satisfaction: Perspectives on supervisor-subordinate relationships. Studies in Media and Communication, 1 (2), 11 – 24.
Gilbert, J. A., Carr-Ruffino, N., Ivancevich, J. M., & Konopaske, R. (2012). Work: The role of organizational culture and leadership in creating community-centered organizations. International Journal of Leadership Studies, 7 (1), 29 – 47.
Hillhouse, D. W. (2009). Telling the truth: The foundation of managerial and ministerial communication. Journal for the Liberal Arts and Science, 13 (3), 104 – 111.