[Vnbiz] Leadership -- A little more on Honesty

Wed Jul 25 06:34:12 PDT 2007

Dear CACC,

It is very disturbing to see Bill Clinton being glorified for his slyness
and cockiness.  If you really take a good look at the world today, how many
role models leaders can we count on our fingers to look up to ?

May I suggest if we really want to be good role models for the younger
generations to be come great leaders in the future, we should start right
now, right here, first and foremost, to TRAIN OURSELVES (TU THA^N) to be
self discipline - to restrain ourselves from thinking/saying/doing
unethical/immoral things.  Second, to MANAGE OUR FAMILIES (TE^` GIA)
with integrity and respect.  Third, may be then, we can go out to GOVERN OUR
COUNTRIES (TRI. QUO^'C) with a good vision.  Fourth, and then, may be we can
go to PACIFY/RULE THE WORLD (BI`NH THIE^N HA.) with harmony and peace.  You
can analyzed and debated all you want, but without anybody starting from
somewhere with good principles and values, there are no hope for our
children, and our children's children in the future in this world.

Truly, there are so many different kind of leaders in this world - so
so leaders, good leaders, and great leaders.  Case in point for great
leaders of the word, Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan.  The question
is what kind of a leader we would like to be ? and what kind of a leader we
would like to see in the future for our youngsters ?  The choice is yours !

Great day everyone.  Be well and be safe.

TP

On 7/24/07, Craig Stevenson <cstevenson2000 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> [ Vietnam Business Forum ]
>
>
>
> Hoanh:
>
> Agreed.  Of course honesty is paramount.  When Bill Clinton said that he
> did not have "sexual relations with that woman" was he not simply choosing
> his words carefully as the respected litigator would.  After all, no one
> says sexual relations, in these days, and "sexual relations" in the biblical
> sense would be intercourse, not what went on between Mr Clinton and Ms
> Lewinsky.
>
> So, as a lawyer, it might be that he chose his words carefully.  But of
> course the person deposing him did a bad job of it, and Mr Clinton can state
> that he didn't lie by the nature of his answer.  Of course, to the common
> person we knew what they were asking and little understood his answer.
> Frankly I thought it was brilliant.  As a lawyer he answered a totally
> different question.  A point missed by many people. But a lie, in actuality
> no, by intent, perhaps, yes.
>
> Frankly it was a question that shouldn't have been asked but for an
> over-zealous and moralizing opposing party.  Would I do what he did? No.
> But then I wouldn't sacrifice my life to take on such a job; to work to
> become a president of a nation. Frankly the question shouldn't have been
> asked.  Francois Mitterand used to attend the Opera with his Mistress
> openly.  Was it wrong for him to do what he did, in my book yes.  Will I
> crucify him for it, no...my morality has no pneumonal, and I believe in the
> phenomenal. Plain and simple, his personal life is none of my business.  I
> am sad that we Americans have forgotten this core value of our culture.
> Private is Private.  Ms Lewinsky consented, plain and simple, and had to be
> outed by an ambitious and jaded public employee.  I feel that person did
> more wrong than Mr Clinton.
>
> Craig
>
>
> On 7/23/07, Tran Dinh Hoanh <tdhoanh at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > [ Vietnam Business Forum ]
> >
> >
> >
> > Dear CACC,
> >
> > There is this important point that I need to add on Honesty.  Of course,
> > dishonesty annoys me; but that is personal preference.  That is not the
> > point.
> >
> > As far as a leader is concerned, honesty is the MOST important
> > ingredient to build the SOLIDITY of your organization.  Honesty is the
> > cement of your building.
> >
> > Say, you have 12 close lieutenants who are in your inner-most circle.
> > These lieutenants see that you cheat on taxes (i.e., lying to your
> > government), you lie (including white lies) to your customers, you lie
> > outright to your competitors, what do they think about you?  Probably not
> > much, "just normal business" you would think.  And you're probably right.
> >
> > But more often than not, when there is something tense in the air, some
> > little disagreement between you and one of the lieutenants, something a bit
> > out of ordinary, and you say something, then most of your lieutenants would
> > think: "I wonder if he is telling us the truth?"  And that kind of
> > thinking trickles down to the entire organization through the management
> > echelon.
> >
> > When your people are skeptical that way, your organization cannot be
> > solid, cannot be strong.  In some serious cases, it may immediately put the
> > organization on deathbed, because it becomes so fragile and brittle. It can
> > be broken easily.  (That is why mafia organizations usually die the sudden
> > death).
> >
> > When your people believe in your words, because they know that you are
> > honest, they will be more open and honest to you, and you will have better
> > and more accurate information and cooperation from your people to plan and
> > to execute your plans.
> >
> > (Bill Clinton knows this point, so he did not volunteer to the world
> > that he lies.  He wanted everyone to believe that he was honest.  It just
> > didn't happen the way he wanted).
> >
> > If someone tells me that he lies and cheats often, including the
> > so-called white lies, and can build a strong long-lasting organization, I
> > know that he is lying to me.  You cannot be competent if you are dishonest,
> > because it is impossible to build a strong organization without honesty.
> >
> > In the short-term, yes, you can lie and do something big, because you
> > can fool people into believing in your honesty in the short term.  But in
> > the long-term, lies have their way to rise up to the surface and destroy
> > your organization.
> >
> > Another note, most people make the mistake that they can lie freely to
> > their enemies.  My observation is that when you lie to your enemies, your
> > lieutenants may ask whether you lie to them when you may be unhappy about
> > them.  Lies, whatever kind of lie, always come back to hurt you.  In my
> > profession as a courtroom litigator, the best lawyers in the profession with
> > the best reputation of winning cases are very honest and careful about their
> > words.  Their honesty reputation plays a big role in helping them win cases,
> > because all the judges and their opponents trust their words.
> >
> > Have a great day!
> >
> > Hoanh
> > --
> > Tran Dinh Hoanh, LLB, JD
> > Washington DC
> >
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-- 
Tea (Tuy-Phuong) LeTran

Form is not different from Void, Void is not different from Form
Form is Void, Void is Form
        (The Great-Wisdom-Beyond-Wisdom Heart Sutra)

Sa('c ba^'t di. Kho^ng, Kho^ng ba^'t di. Sa('c
Sa('c tu+'c thi. Kho^ng, Kho^ng tu+'c thi. Sa('c
        ( Ba't Nha~ Ta^m Kinh )
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