Book Summary Preview : What is the Emperor Wearing?

The Big Idea
Once upon a time, an emperor who loved clothes was approached by two con men who made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. They promised to weave him a special cloth that would be invisible to anyone that is stupid or unworthy of their position. As the work proceeded, the emperor sent high-ranking officials to inspect the cloth. While these officials saw only air where the cloth was supposedly being made, they reported that the work was proceeding well for fear of being considered stupid or unworthy of their rank. Finally the emperor and his entourage came to inspect the cloth. None could see it, but all, also fearing to be known as stupid, proclaimed its magnificence. The con men pretended to cut and sew while everyone supported the deception. When the emperor wore clothes made from the “fabric,” the crowd likewise pretended to see clothes. A small child, viewing the naked emperor, announced to all that could hear: “the emperor has no clothes!”

This book provides valuable stories similar to the one told above. These are stories of ordinary individuals in the workplace who are striving to steer a course between deception and damaging confrontation by developing truth-telling skills.

The story of the emperor and his new clothes is eternal because the problem of “having to lie” is eternal. The benefits of deceptions are obvious. In the story, the officials, and even the public, had to lie to appear knowledgeable and to be able to keep their jobs. Suppose there really is cloth there and only you cannot see it. Suppose your truth is not the truth. Are there really benefits to revealing your truth to others? Are the benefits worth the accompanying risks?

Truth-telling
Truth-telling is justifiably perceived to be difficult, risky, and unrewarding. Who has not had his or her view of a situation invalidated by someone in authority? Who has not felt ashamed of causing another embarrassment by calling attention to a truth that was supposed to remain a secret? When individuals perceive different truths, it is far more common to try to invalidate each other’s truth than to explore further to discover the true nature of a problem.

It’s Hard To Tell the Truth to Someone Who Won’t Listen
Rita was quite certain that Kerwin, her manager, was making a disastrous decision. He refused to listen to her. She tried politely repeating her message several times and finally gave up. Her predictions were correct. Public funds were wasted, and the newspapers uncovered the scandal. Did she have other options?

What to Do If Your Truth is Ignored
If you’re faced with a position like Rita’s, where you present your truth but are ignored, and you need to decide what to do about it, explore these suggestions:

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