There Is An Elephant In The Room

 

My honest initial response on the topic of speaking truth to power was avoidance. In my eyes this phrase triggers an image of someone screaming their personal truth at anyone that disagrees with them. James O’Toole’s article “Speaking Truth to Power: A White Paper,”[1] dislodged me from my high horse to my own personal realities of the risks and consequences of highlighting corporate missteps that compromise the overall integrity of the organization.

James O’Toole a distinguished professor of Business Ethics at the University of Denver, author of a number of books and articles[2] on confrontation of leadership, and transparency within the workplace. O’Toole conveys the reality that this is an age old issue of leaders who have deaf ears to their subordinates who “speak good sense.”[3] The author cites a number of modern corporations that exemplify the characteristics and consequences of hierarchical rigidity, while contrasting those with a culture of openness that encourages and demands tough challenging questions and “constructive dissent.”[4] It is leadership’s resistance to questioning “behavior-driving assumptions” that leads to “group think, a state of collective denial or self-deception.”[5] O’Toole, cites his co-author Warren Bennis’ notes on transparency and the creation of a “culture of candor, one in which followers are free to speak truth to power and leaders are willing to hear it,”[6] is the key to organizations remaining competitive and growing. It is interesting that this concept of corporate vulnerability is in stark contrast to the traditional leader who is “decisive, tough, take-charge men who quickly fire those who are not ‘team-players.’”[7]The remainder of the text provides examples of the risks and responsibilities of messengers, listeners, and organizations.

Jesus was the master of speaking truth to power. He skillfully confronted the religious leaders of the day, being fully aware of the cost. He graciously spoke the truth of people’s sin while inviting them into a life of freedom and hope. He empowered the women, slaves, and outcasts of every kind while challenging the accepted thinking of the day. I have this sense that there were times through levity he revealed hard truths similar to O’Toole’s “corporate fool.”[8] Jesus modeled, and the early church pursued a life, community of egalitarian openness, empowerment, and service. The disciples were often asking questions, and the women were allowed to do the same. Although Jesus desired obedience, it was not to be blind, rather a response to the love relationship.

If I had more time and space a study of the Beatitudes in light of speaking truth to power could be very interesting.

What does this have to do with my context?

I am perplexed in how my church context, though they say all the right things, in terms of openness and transparency, there is a significant gap between the expressed values and behavioral execution. Upper leadership seems to be out of touch with the reality of those leaders in the trenches.[9] This is compounded by the lack of meaningful relationship between the various levels.[10] The corporate purposes are often misplaced or contrary to the values and purposes of the denomination.[11] This makes it difficult for corporate leadership to clearly identify all the stakeholders and value their input.[12] All this results in group think that those closer to the top know best. Individuals that point out issues are told that they are out of alignment with the organization, though they may not be out of alignment with scripture or the expressed values. Those who have an voice to speak and be heard by leadership prefer to back away, saying it is not their responsibility or they do not want to get into the politics of it.

There is a very large elephant in the room that many well-meaning individuals are affixing band aids to.  

In my search of a lasting change to address the elephant, I came across this powerful podcast with Brené Brown and Lisa Lahey,[13] the co-author of An Everyone Culture.[14] Lahey looks at the underlining motivations that prevent us from making and keeping the changes we desire.

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[1] James O’Toole, “Speaking Truth to Power: A White Paper,” Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University, October 15, 2015, https://www.scu.edu/ethics/focus-areas/business-ethics/resources/speaking-truth-to-power-a-white-paper/.

[2] James O’Toole, “Truth to Power: Beware Perils and Penalties.,” Leadership Excellence 25, no. 11 (November 2008): 9.

[3] O’Toole, “Speaking Truth to Power: A White Paper.”

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Ibid.

[9] Ibid.

[10] Peter Guy Northouse, Leadership: Theory and Practice, Ninth Edition (Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publishing, 2021).

[11] O’Toole, “Speaking Truth to Power: A White Paper.”

[12] Ibid.

[13] Brené Brown, “Brené with Lisa Lahey on Immunity to Change, Part 2 of 2,” Spotify, Dare to Lead, n.d., https://open.spotify.com/episode/52jg6XzkCmaX4bxVaVywKI.

[14] Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey, An Everyone Culture: Becoming a Deliberately Developmental Organization (Boston, Massachusetts: Harvard Business Review Press, 2016).