Page 28 - The Bible On Leadership

Honesty and Integrity 15

estly and seeks the truth, I will forgive this city. Although they say ‘‘As
surely as the Lord lives,’’ still they are swearing falsely. (Jer. 5:1–2)

Like the Greek philosopher Diogenes, Jeremiah could not find one
honest man in the entire city. But he reasoned that he had looked only
among the rank and file, not the exalted and moral heads of the metrop-
olis. But, to a man, ‘‘with one accord they too had broken off the yoke
and torn off the bonds. Therefore a lion from the forest will attack
them, a wolf from the desert will ravage them . . . for their rebellion is
great and their backslidings many.’’ ( Jer. 5:5–6)
Back then, the likelihood of an actual lion or ravaging wolf was a
more literal likelihood, and a more compelling metaphor. Today, lack
of honesty and integrity in our business and political leaders has fewer
direct physical consequences, but just as great an impact on the business
and political climate in our country. The ‘‘wolves’’ and ‘‘lions’’ that
attack a leader or company that lacks integrity include loss of purpose,
disaffection, and discouragement from the janitorial closet to the board-
room, and ultimately loss of trust from the consumer of the product or
service.
Compare the long-term effects of Johnson & Johnson’s proactively
and voluntarily removing millions of dollars worth of Tylenol from the
shelves when a tiny number of cyanide-contaminated containers were
discovered with Ford’s begrudging acknowledgement (after many arti-
cles, Congressional hearings, and speeches by Ralph Nader) that the
location of the Mustang’s gas tank had been responsible for many fiery
deaths. Which company acted with more integrity? Which realized bet-
ter short- and long-term economic and public relations results?
The prophet Isaiah lived in an era where honesty and integrity were
not the foundations of the nation of Israel. He saw a vision of the Lord
surrounded by angels, looked down at himself, and realized just how
morally far he and his nation had sunk:
‘‘ ‘Woe to me!’ I cried. ‘I am ruined! I am a man of unclean lips, and
I live among a people of unclean lips.’ ’’ (Isa. 6:5)
Isaiah was probably the ‘‘cleanest-lipped’’ guy in town, but even he
knew he was lacking. In a corrupt organization, all get corrupted. Once