Often, I am bewildered whenever I hear some leaders say they want the people in their organisations to give them honest feedback by telling them what they need to know and not what they want to hear.
The reality is that speaking truth to power is easier said than done; it is a considerable risk that will likely cost people their careers or means of livelihood. However, the people who have mastered the game earn respect from their managers and help their careers.
In my leadership journey, I have related with many leaders who value having a supportive, loyal, and non-judgmental workplace to experiment with new ideas and obtain honest feedback on their leadership styles.
But the same leaders tell me that what they want most is a safe, respectful, and constructive challenge from the people around them. They believe that constructive challenge pushes their thinking and emotions to drive decisive action and growth.
This scenario applies to leaders in senior management roles, especially where the organizational culture is more hierarchical and relationship-focused. The truth is that leaders who operate in hierarchical cultures are not open to receiving upward feedback; they often receive far less honest feedback than leaders who work in an egalitarian and task-focused culture.
In the workplace, speaking truth to power usually means telling your boss or another leader how you believe their actions are wrong or how they can act differently. It involves demanding a moral response to an organisational problem rather than an expedient, natural, or selfish response.
To get all the disparate team members to work together effectively, leaders need to know when to wield influence rather than authority to succeed
According to James O’Toole, a candor culture in which people are encouraged to speak out to a leadership that is willing to listen is fundamental to sustainable corporate success, yet being candid with someone in power is historically riddled with danger as well.
The reality is that speaking truth to power can put people at high personal risk. The phrase carries a connotation of bravery, risking the status quo, reputation, or livelihood, or facing victimization from the person one is confronting.
Most corporate scandals and the recognition that great innovative ideas can come from a lower level and frontline employees are two critical reasons that the most successful organization are those in which people are not afraid to speak up without any fear of unintended consequences, irrespective of their level in the organisation.
It is pertinent to note that speaking truth to power is always unsettling, but that is how influential leaders emerge.
Most leaders understand they must encourage open and transparent cultures, keep their eyes open, and take any wrongdoing suggestions. The irony is that there is a huge gulf between knowing and doing, and not all leaders can translate acceptable words into action.
The truth is that most leaders’ actions and body language do not earn them the trust and confidence of those who follow them. The contradictions are so apparent to everyone that the leaders are too blind to see themselves. The question then arises; how many leaders are genuinely prepared to listen to people from every level in the organisation?
How open are they to criticisms of the leadership and broader organizational practices? How many people have a voice in the workplace? What are the channels for open communication? What are the opportunities for interaction? And what is the assurance that nothing changes as a result of speaking up?
Socio-cognitive research has demonstrated that power affects how people feel, think, and act. The rejection of rigid command and control leadership to more empowering and collaborative approaches may seem to address speaking up. It is ironic the justification given to “oppression,” and it is more puzzling how oppression is perpetrated through a mutual process between the “oppressor” and the “oppressed.”
We must admit that the powerless in society can be frightened of freedom and that freedom is acquired by conquest, not by gift. Freedom must be sort consistently and responsibly, as it is not an idea that becomes a myth. It is an indispensable condition for the quest for human completion.
Reasons abound on why people might be reluctant to “speak up” – fear of authority is just one of the—ingrained, in many cultures, especially in Africa, where there is profound deference to authority figures.
The African culture requires people to respect and obey their parents, elders, teachers, and other authority figures without questioning them. This accounts for why we have a lot of “Yes” men everywhere.
A healthy ‘speak up’ culture breaks down the barriers that can often exist between the workforce and the leadership. A vital ingredient of a healthy culture is a willingness for the leadership to listen to their people.
Also, a culture of engagement and feedback is required for employees to voice their ideas and concerns. Hence, leaders must ensure that they don’t turn a blind eye to practices or complaints that could seriously damage their organisation’s operations or reputation.
Thus, speaking truth to power is more than truth-telling; it is not that simple; instead, it requires clarity of intent that benefits something more significant than the individual interest. We must discern what is proper and ethical before we get our leaders to consider our ideas and suggestions.
Again, it is nobler that we understand how truth and power operate in the workplace, as it requires a moral reflection by figuring out why we may want to speak our truth to power.
Great leaders often go out of their way to seek divergent opinions, especially those that are different, and challenge their own. These leaders also help others constructively challenge power and make it safe.
Leaders today must harness ideas, people, and resources from across boundaries of all kinds. To get all the disparate team members to work together effectively, leaders need to know when to wield influence rather than authority to succeed, halt unproductive discussion, squash politicking, and make the final call toward a healthy organisational culture.
