Lying and Leadership
October 28, 2005 by admin
The indictment on 5 counts of Lewis “Scooter” Libby, chief of staff for Vice President Dick Cheney, reminds us of the ethical dimension of leadership. The temptation is often there to abuse power, and to lie to cover it up, and often people get away with abuse and lying. But leaders have to remember that when the lies and abuse are revealed, their ability to lead is usually completely demolished.
If it’s not enough to simply be ethical for the sake of righteousness, then perhaps remembering Mark Twain’s advice will help: “When in doubt, tell the truth.” And perhaps even more relevant to today’s indictment: “Always tell the truth. That way, you don’t have to remember what you said.“