Last week I suggested that if you want a culture of truth in
your organization, perhaps that needs to start at the top. Several of the
comments chimed in with a "you're darn right it does." The top controls resources, the top decides strategy, the top
sets the example, so they need to step up and lead the culture change. I get
that, of course. The top does have an absolutely critical role to play.

But deep down I wanted someone to jump up and say
"NO!" Let's face it: I'm a systems guy and a Gen Xer, so ultimately I don't want the
top of the hierarchy to actually be in charge. My honorary brother (and Gen Xer) Joe
Gerstandt was up to the task with his comment. I will reproduce most of it here rather than summarize it:

I can no longer support the idea that
change/progress/solutions (whether it is a culture of truth, an inclusive
culture, innovation, social media or anything else) has to start at the top.

That is simply how we let ourselves off the hook. "I am
passionate about the truth, but the powers that be just don't get it."

Bullshit.

If we are passionate about truth (or diversity, or
innovation, or flexibility or anything) then we will demand it. That may lead
to repercussions, but that is part of the equation with passion.

Leaving our relationship with truth and our other
aspirations and values in the hands of those at the top of the pyramid has not
served us well. At all.

The solution is not new leaders. The solution is us acting
in accordance with what we claim to believe.

Selly Alcorn made a similar point: "Change can come to an organization, but only when those who demand the truth are willing to pay for it."

There is a price to pay for truth. At an individual level, this means rocking the boat. This is
true in every aspect of your life, by the way. Living a full life requires
rocking the boat. That is a choice. You can choose to live less than a full
life (most of us do), and you can find a nice tepid harmony with those around
you. Don't push people, don't make them uncomfortable, don't show passion or
emotion. Just be polite, kind, nice and reveal about 10% of what's real for
you. That's normal and, frankly, it's okay. You should have the ability to
choose how to live your life.

Paying the price for truth means revealing at least some of
that 90% and working through the consequences that will have on the people in
your life, and on you for that matter. You will make some people unhappy. You might spark some conflict. You might have to face some inner contradictions. You will violate what people in general may be expecting of you. You will incur judgments from other people. This is the price you pay for living your life fully. All of this is manageable, of course, albeit hard work at times. Only in very rare cases will living your life fully and telling the truth put your life in danger (but that does happen, by the way). 

Paying this price can yield significant returns, however. There is a lot of research out there demonstrating the dangerously low levels of engagement among American workers, and you can track some hard expenses for an organization associated with the reduced efficiency and high turnover that stems from low engagement. A culture of truth can counteract that. In general, people who regularly express their passion are not the disengaged ones. People who know they can speak the truth and push the issues are not the ones calling in sick on Friday. Paying the price for truth is an investment that pays off big time.

So back to the organization: how do we support individuals in our organizations to invest in the truth? Paying the price is ultimately an individual decision. We can't make that decision for them or institute a new policy that demands our employees bring more of themselves to work. I don't want to "let them off the hook," as Joe suggests, by implying that the top of the organization must change their behavior first, but how else can we support them?

I think that is really where my first post came from. Individuals have let themselves off the hook because I am guessing that in most organizations they are afraid. They say they are afraid of the repercussions of telling the truth. They fear they might get fired or in trouble. Fear lives where the truth is not spoken. It flourishes there, in fact. So regardless of whether the top controls resources or drives culture change, I think that if the top of the organization intentionally speaks more truth, it will counteract fear. It may require you to deal with some new things, but the fear of what they might think, what they might do, will be lessened. It removes an impediment to people telling the truth. It's not the only solution, and it's not even the first solution, but it could be a powerful strategic move in your quest to have individuals start investing in more truth. On one hand, you don't want to let them off the hook by implying it must be done at the top first. On the other hand, you can take away one of their biggest excuses if you start at the top.

The rest of us don't have to wait for the top. We have to dig deep and be willing to pay the price for living a fuller, more truthful life. That will show up in our organizations in many different ways. And you lovely people at the top? You have the same charge. Your truth telling will have some different implications, but it's still an investment that will yield returns.