It’s standard practice for anyone appearing in a court of law to be asked how they plead to the charges levelled at them. And it’s also equally standard practice for the majority of such people to plead, with great confidence and conviction, “Not guilty!”
I’m quite convinced that, should the men in the VIP Protection Unit who assaulted their fellow road users ever end up in a court of law, they would plead with confidence, “Not guilty!” as is their right to plead.
An interesting point was, however, made by a caller on a radio show discussing court cases and how people plead. The caller asked why, if a person who pleaded “not guilty” was found, on the basis of the evidence before the court, guilty, that person was not charged for contempt of court in that they knowingly lied to the court in their plea. That’s an interesting debate for people who are much more qualified regarding legal matters!
All of this “not guilty” stuff, however, raises a deeper issue – the disconnect between what people do and how they view themselves. Why is it that people who indulge in violence, deceit, robbery, and crime in general don’t see themselves as bad people at all?
In their eyes, they’re good, right and honest people. Well, that’s at least how all the people who are living the high life on ill gotten money – money they’ve stolen, misappropriated or “reallocated” t- view themselves. Do they think they’re dishonest? Of course, they don’t.
So, the big question is: Why? Why don’t dishonest people see themselves as dishonest?
The answer is very simple: When you set out to deceive others, the first person you deceive is … yourself. And once you’ve deceived yourself, you’ve lost touch with reality and will never see things as they are. You will only see things as you choose to see them.
Unfortunately, while you’re seeing things as you choose to see them, many others can see you and what you do as you really are.
If you’re in a leadership position, your visibility is that much greater and that many more people get to see you for who and what you are.
So take a good hard look at yourself. Ask yourself if there’s a possibility that you’ve been deceiving yourself. One of the ways to get an honesty answer is to consider everything that’s said to and about you. If you find that others are saying things about you that differ from what you think about yourself, you need to start getting very tough with yourself.
The worlds of business and politics are being increasingly invaded by “leaders” who are completely out of touch with the reality of who they are. There are politicians who make decisions that affect the lives of millions of citizens. Most of these politicians are completely incompetent and unqualified – but they don’t think they are.
They think they’re highly competent! And there are business people who are engaging in all sports of underhand, unethical business practices, and they don’t think they’re unethical. They just think they’re street smart!
While you and I have no control over their actions and thoughts, we DO have control of our own. So start asking yourself if you’re really as in touch with reality as you should be. If you lie to others, accept the fact that you’re dishonest. If you’ve embezzled money, accept the fact that you’re a cheat and a fraudster.
Will you do that? Probably not – if you ARE a liar and a cheat! The point I’m making is that our actions reveal who we really are. Honest people will do honest things and not do dishonest things. Dishonest people will do dishonest things and not engage in honest activities.
It’s all a matter of choice. If you choose to continue believing the lies you’ve fed yourself, there’s nothing anybody can do to change your mind. If, however, you have a sincere desire to make the world a better place, you’ll make the sacrifices necessary to achieve your purpose.
Honesty and dishonesty are a choice. Which have you chosen?
Alan Hosking is the Publisher of HR Future magazine, www.hrfuture.net and @HRFuturemag. He is an internationally recognised authority on leadership competencies for the future and teaches experienced and younger business leaders how to lead with empathy, compassion, integrity, purpose and agility. He has been an Age Management Coach for two decades and is the author of parenting best seller What nobody Tells a New Father.