Contemporary Views of Leadership in Organizations, Essay Example

While I believe that it is true that there are times when leaders, in order for them to meet objectives that are deemed by them to be of primary significance, must withhold some facts from their subordinates or from other stakeholders in a venture, it is my position that these instances do not lead to success but rather just to a temporary escape. Furthermore I believe that every time a leader is untruthful to others about his or her actions, it exposes the leader as well as the operations of the organization itself to critical risks, particularly the loss of trust and good rapport should the stakeholders find out about the dishonesty. History teaches that while being dishonest may help a leader get ahead in the face of an immediate challenge, dishonesty is addictive and making a habit of it will most certainly lead to ruin. Perhaps the most widely known example of this is the case of the Enron scandal. According to McLean and Elkind (2003), “the Enron scandal grew out of a steady accumulation of habits and values and actions that began years before and finally spiraled out of control.” (p. 132) If the leaders of Enron been honest to investors regarding the situation of the company from the beginning, prices may still have fallen and the company may still have gone under. However, lying about the situation did not do anyone any good. Another lie had to be used to support the first lie, and this progression proceeded because of the initial dishonesty. Being honest would have given Enron a fair chance at survival. Dishonesty doomed it to inevitable failure.

References

McLean, B., and Elkind, P. (2003). The Smartest Guys in the Room. New York: Portfolio Trade.