Broken trust

Proverbs 12:17 He who speaks truth declares righteousness,
But a false witness, deceit.

(some of this [..] comes from a devotional on leadership I found on the Bible app I use…)

Bottom Line Up Front: [Tell The Truth, Leave The Right Impression, And Be Honest.

Though some leaders don’t consciously realize it, honesty includes not only telling the truth, but also leaving the right impression.]

Even non-believers can see this: [Albert Einstein said, “Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters.”]

The non-profit world, particularly the theological education game, especially is a tough one nowadays; conditions exist in which school competes against school for finite funds and for new students from an ever shrinking pool of willing men. The pressure an institution may feel can lead men to do things they would not ordinarily do.

Perhaps someone donates a bit of cash, saying it’s because the organization is doing a certain thing (which it does not do). If the solicitor does not correct the wrong impression, (whether they have knowingly given that impression or not), then they have obtained funds by deception.

What does God forbid in the eighth commandment?

God forbids not only outright theft and robbery but also such wicked schemes and devices as false weights and measures, deceptive merchandising, counterfeit money, and usury; we must not defraud our neighbour in any way, whether by force or by show of right. In addition God forbids all greed and all abuse or squandering of His gifts.

When the deceiver is the CEO of the institution, the leader of the faculty/staff/unit/governing board, matters become aggravated and much more serious. And when the man does not respond to correction, well…

I once worked as a software engineer for a mutual fund company, whose CEO was later fined $60 million by the feds for deceptive trading practices. I had interviewed with him 1-1 for a special staff position providing dedicated IT support to his office. During the interview, I detected untrustworthiness (I can’t say what it was that I saw, it was just an impression.) and turned down the offer. Six months later, I left the company, and a couple years after that, the FTC shut the company down and banned the CEO from the financial industry for life. Hundreds of people lost their jobs and saw their retirement funds plummet. (The CEO is now 84 and remains a multi-millionaire though.)

Ever since, but not only because of this experience, my own ability to trust others has been a bit, well, jaded. I saw to it that I and anyone close to me had to be, first and foremost, true blue. No one is perfect, though; some have made mistakes, I have made mistakes, too, sure.

Ignorance can be overcome, incompetence can be remedied; even character flaws can be corrected, but the only way to fix dishonesty is to avoid it, and purge it from you when you find it in yourself or others.

[It’s clear that if people are willingly to follow you—whether into battle or into the boardroom, the front office or the front lines—they first want to assure themselves that you are worthy of their trust. They want to know that you are truthful, ethical, and principled. So…

Be Honest. Tell the Truth. Let people know where you stand. Use simple language. Call things what they are. Demonstrate integrity. Don’t manipulate people. Don’t distort facts. Don’t spin the truth. Don’t leave false impressions.

Bottom Line: Tell The Truth, Leave The Right Impression, And Be Honest.]