A Compelling Argument for Honesty: Efficiency

Yesterday, I was having a conversation with a friend who was talking about how impressive it was that some people could seemingly be getting so much shit done! People in positions of power in business, for example. People who work all day and have energy for fundraising events after work, and who are writing books, and doing speaking tours, and all sorts of other time consuming endeavors.

Thinking about it, I pictured this person running from meeting to meeting, making decisions about how to run their companies, being at home and interacting happily with their family. All different situations that take up a busy business man or woman’s day. Then in a moment of my own befuddlement about how one person could accomplish so much given so little time, the word honesty popped into my mind.

Again, I thought about this power person at a meeting. They were in charge but soft enough to be empathizing with their counterpart. I thought the only way one can efficiently handle this meeting is to be entirely honest. Someone not afraid to tell others the truth and, most importantly, tell someone the truth in a way that is not going to offend. This way everything is on the table and no time is wasted discussing items of no significance. Honesty also mitigates time wasted in the future. If our power person was being dishonest at this meeting and, for example, roped their clients into a deal that was “un-fair”, to keep it simple, then the power person is spending time in the future re-meeting with unhappy clients.

This is a simple example, but one that is realistic and probably plays out in business everyday. And obviously, power people have an array of skills and help from others that allows them to accomplish 10 peoples worth of tasks in one day, but to be doing it best one must be honest. Otherwise, that power is not sustainable.

Someone having so many interactions can not leave a trail of dishonesty in their wake. It will catch up with them. As I showed in the example above, where the “un-fair” deal was made. Imagine that example on a larger scale. Power people can’t afford to spend time fending off old mistakes and answering to lies they have left behind.

Be honest. It is efficient. It is sustainable.