Discussion Replies: Environment

The Vital Role of Transparency and Accountability in Leadership Your Name Subject and Section Professor’s Name April 14, 2024 Discussion 1 – Reply #1 Humans, like us, have always been avoidant in confronting 'brutal facts' that shape our lives. Due to our aversion to experiencing negative emotions or other underlying fears, we tend to set them aside and wait for the right moment to confront them. As leaders, however, confronting these facts is necessary to address as early as possible. On the one hand, studies have pointed out that creating an environment where the truth is not only spoken but heard is crucial for the health, progress, and, ultimately, the success of any organization (Caver & Livers, 2021). On the other hand, this principle is also vividly encapsulated in the Biblical narrative, where Jesus uses parables to communicate profound truths, ensuring that those who are "open and receptive" grasp the wisdom being imparted (Matthew 13:10-17, ESV). However, why is a leader's avoidance dangerous and detrimental to his organization? One thing I realized through my studies is that avoiding confronting brutal facts often leads to a detrimental cycle of denial and stagnation, where critical issues remain unaddressed, allowing problems to deepen and fester. In one of the studies that I read, the author has clearly shown that one of the biggest contributors to the 2008 financial crisis was the leaders' corporate failures and political mishaps, which started due to their wides...