July 16, 2024
A colleague and I were discussing if it was possible to recover from being seen as possessing a major flaw in honesty and integrity. I identified a variety of honest leaders who had tried to improve their honesty and integrity and seemed to make some progress, but for most people, this seemed to be a pit from which there was no escape.
I decided to look at the data for honest leaders. First, I sought to understand if it was even possible. Was there evidence that it frequently happened? Second, I wanted to know what those who succeeded at changing actually did.
I assembled a dataset of 6,025 leaders who participated in 360-degree assessments with feedback from their managers, peers, direct reports, and other raters. In this case, each leader did an initial assessment (pre-test) and then, after 18 to 24 months, received a second assessment (post-test).
I identified 546 leaders with a potentially fatal flaw in their honesty and integrity competency. This is defined by that person scoring at or below the 10th percentile when assessed by others. We then compared each leader’s pre-test to their post-test results. The results were that:
Was the pit too deep to escape? The resounding answer is “NO”. Digging yourself out of a deep pit is possible but not easy. 21% of the leaders made meaningful and substantial improvements in becoming an honest leader.
In the graph below, we show the results for each group.
Looking at the post-test results, we compared those honest leaders with moderate and significant improvement to leaders who decreased and only slightly improved on 49 behaviors. While every one of the 49 behaviors showed significant differences, we looked at the behaviors that had the most substantial improvements for insights into the key behaviors linked to the change.
This study offers a compelling message of hope: transformation is possible. The data shows that while climbing out of the pit of perceived dishonesty and lack of integrity is challenging, it is not an insurmountable task. A significant 21% of honest leaders demonstrated meaningful and substantial improvements in their integrity scores, proving that personal change is achievable.
Key behaviors such as following through on commitments, being mindful of promises, seeking advice, cooperating with colleagues, and fostering an atmosphere of continuous improvement are instrumental in this transformation. Moreover, enhancing trust, staying in touch with others’ concerns, maintaining effective communication, and regularly seeking feedback are pivotal strategies that can lead to significant positive changes in honest leadership.
This evidence shatters the notion that one’s character is immutable. Instead, it highlights the potential for growth and improvement, regardless of past shortcomings. Leaders, and indeed anyone striving to better themselves, should take heart from these findings. By focusing on specific, actionable behaviors, they can not only improve their integrity and honesty but also enhance their overall effectiveness and influence. Change is not just possible; it is within reach for those committed to the journey.
—Joe Folkman
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