[Vnbiz] Leadership -- A little more on Honesty

Wed Jul 25 09:40:48 PDT 2007

Dear Tea,

I can empathize.  But if you'd like some interesting insights into Gorbachev
and Reagan, pick up Robert Littel's book "The Company - A story of the CIA",
factually based fiction.  Very entertaining and enlightening about the
Kennedys, Yeltsin, CIA and KGB, too.

With warm wishes,
Andi

On 7/25/07, Tea (Tuy-Phuong) LeTran <tealetran at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> [ Vietnam Business Forum ]
>
>
> 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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