Lie-Ability: How Leaders Build and Break Trust - Paperback

by Alan Watkins (Author), Simon Jones (Author)

Business success depends on the ability to build trust. Trusted brands succeed and sustain. Trusted leaders inspire followers, grow companies, revenues and futures. But sadly, deceit has infected business and become widespread. Far too many leaders now use their own "alternative facts", to mislead and misinform their customers, colleagues and communities. The skilfulness and ease with which some leaders now lie has become a Lie-Ability. And when customers stop trusting the products, services or the stories a leader tells, then the business suffers.

If business leaders don't lead a truth renaissance, we are all lost. People no longer trust politicians or the media. And many of the institutions and professions we used to turn to have also lost trust. The only people that can really save us now are business leaders. We need to become truth advocates and activists. We must re-establish a new norm where we tell the truth to ourselves, to our employees, to our shareholders, to our customers and to society at large.

This book explores the 7 Deadly Lies that business tells itself, the 7 Dark Arts of Deception that are still used with monotonous regularity to manipulate the narrative. It offers C-suite leaders and senior managers a clear path out of deceit. It provides a solution to the Lie-Ability of some leaders by developing a deeper understanding of truth, how to reclaim it and how to build back trust.

Author Biography

Alan Watkins is the CEO and Founder of Complete - a consultancy that specialises in developing exceptional leadership globally through individual and team development. Alan has written several books including Step Change: The Leader's Journey (Routledge, 2022), Innovation Sucks! Time to Think Differently co-authored with Simon May (Routledge, 2021) and HR (R)Evolution: Change the Workplace, Change the World co-authored with Nick Dalton (Routledge, 2020).

Simon Jones is a lead consultant with Chime Group and VCCP Business, delivering strategic counsel in international relations, communications, crisis communications and reputation management for governments, corporations and individuals around the world. Over the last 20 years he has advised chief executives and chairs of global organisations, in addition to managing complex and global communications campaigns for some of the world's leading brands.