Honesty
01
Truthfulness
States
what
is
actually
the
case
rather
than
the
version
that
is
easiest
to
defend
.
Accuracy
is
treated
as
a
duty
,
not
a
preference
.
S HO WS
UP
AS
volunteering
the
part
of
a
story
that
does
not
flatter
you
,
before
anyone
asks
for
it
.
02
Transparency
Opens
the
reasoning
,
not
just
the
conclusion
.
Shares
the
inputs
,
the
trade
-
offs
,
the
cost
,
and
the
parts
still
unknown
.
S HO WS
UP
AS
saying
“
here
is
the
data
and
here
is
what
I
am
still
unsure
about
”
instead
of
presenting
a
decision
as
settled
fact
.
03
Integrity
Consistency
between
stated
values
and
actual
conduct
,
particularly
when
no
one
is
auditing
the
gap
.
S HO WS
UP
AS
making
the
same
choice
whether
or
not
it
will
be
observed
,
reported
,
or
rewarded
.
04
Candour
Directness
delivered
with
respect
.
The
difficult
thing
is
said
early
,
plainly
,
and
to
the
person
it
concerns
.
S HO WS
UP
AS
raising
a
problem
in
the
room
where
it
can
be
fixed
,
not
in
a
side
conversation
afterwards
.
05
Authenticity
One
self
across
contexts
.
There
is
no
separate
professional
persona
that
contradicts
the
private
one
.
S HO WS
UP
AS
the
same
opinions
,
humour
and
limits
appearing
in
a
meeting
,
an
email
,
and
a
dinner
.
06
Sincerity
Stated
motive
matches
actual
motive
.
Praise
,
apology
and
criticism
are
all
meant
,
not
performed
.
S HO WS
UP
AS
compliments
that
can
be
traced
to
something
specific
,
and
apologies
that
name
the
harm
done
.
1 / 4
07
Accountability
Claims
errors
voluntarily
rather
than
being
cornered
into
them
,
and
carries
the
consequence
rather
than
the
explanation
.
S HO WS
UP
AS
“
I
got
that
wrong
,
here
is
what
it
cost
,
here
is
the
correction
” —
without
a
defence
attached
.
08
Consistency
Reliable
across
time
and
mood
.
What
was
promised
under
pressure
still
holds
when
the
pressure
lifts
.
S HO WS
UP
AS
the
commitment
made
on
a
bad
day
being
honoured
on
a
good
one
,
with
no
renegotiation
.
09
Fairness
Does
not
tilt
the
facts
to
win
.
Presents
the
strongest
honest
version
of
the
case
against
their
own
position
.
S HO WS
UP
AS
summarising
the
opposing
argument
so
well
that
the
other
side
recognises
it
.
10
Trustworthiness
Discretion
is
practised
,
not
just
promised
.
A
confidence
is
kept
even
when
repeating
it
would
be
interesting
or
advantageous
.
S HO WS
UP
AS
being
told
something
sensitive
and
never
seeing
it
resurface
in
a
third
conversation
.
11
Intellectual
honesty
Follows
evidence
where
it
leads
.
Holds
a
position
loosely
enough
to
revise
it
publicly
when
the
premise
changes
.
S HO WS
UP
AS
“
I
argued
for
X
last
quarter
and
the
data
says
I
was
wrong
” —
said
out
loud
,
not
quietly
dropped
.
12
Calibrated
certainty
Distinguishes
clearly
between
what
is
known
,
what
is
believed
,
and
what
is
suspected
.
Confidence
is
reported
at
its
true
level
.
S HO WS
UP
AS
the
words
“
I
know
”, “
I
think
”
and
“
I
am
guessing
”
being
used
to
mean
three
different
things
.
SECT IO N
2
Supporting
traits
Secondary
dispositions
that
make
the
core
traits
sustainable
.
Without
these
,
honesty
tends
to
collapse
under
pressure
or
become
abrasive
.
2 / 4
Self
-
awareness
Notices
their
own
bias
before
it
shapes
what
they
report
.
Can
name
what
they
would
rather
be
true
.
Moral
courage
Willing
to
absorb
a
cost
—
awkwardness
,
anger
,
a
lost
advantage
—
rather
than
trade
the
truth
away
.
Non
-
defensiveness
Takes
correction
without
treating
it
as
an
attack
.
Asks
a
second
question
instead
of
countering
the
first
.
Corrigibility
Updates
readily
and
verifiably
.
Changing
position
is
treated
as
competence
,
not
embarrassment
.
Precision
of
language
Avoids
exaggeration
,
softening
and
strategic
vagueness
.
Says
the
number
,
not
a
flattering
approximation
of
it
.
Discretion
Distinguishes
what
is
owed
from
what
is
merely
available
.
Transparency
does
not
mean
disclosure
to
everyone
.
Reliability
Follows
through
on
small
stated
things
,
which
is
what
makes
the
larger
statements
credible
.
Respect
for
autonomy
Gives
people
accurate
information
so
they
can
decide
for
themselves
,
rather
than
managing
what
they
are
told
.
SECT IO N
3
What
honesty
is
often
confused
with
Four
habits
borrowed
the
vocabulary
of
honesty
without
its
obligations
.
Each
one
fails
in
a
recognisable
way
.
Brutal
honesty
Accuracy
used
as
a
licence
to
wound
.
The
facts
may
be
correct
,
but
the
delivery
treats
another
person
’
s
dignity
as
optional
.
WHE RE
IT
B RE AKS
It
optimises
for
the
speaker
’
s
release
,
not
the
listener
’
s
understanding
—
which
is
why
it
usually
withholds
the
only
thing
that
would
help
.
Agreeableness
Telling
people
what
they
want
to
hear
and
calling
it
kindness
or
diplomacy
.
Disagreement
is
deferred
until
it
is
too
late
to
be
useful
.
WHE RE
IT
B RE AKS
Everyone
is
informed
except
the
person
who
needed
to
know
,
and
the
hard
news
arrives
after
the
decision
is
irreversible
.
Compulsive
disclosure
Transparency
without
judgement
about
what
is
actually
owed
.
Everything
is
shared
,
including
things
that
were
entrusted
.
WHE RE
IT
B RE AKS
It
leaks
other
people
’
s
information
while
claiming
to
be
an
open
book
—
trust
is
spent
,
not
honoured
.
3 / 4
Selective
self
-
scrutiny
Rigorous
honesty
about
other
people
’
s
motives
,
persistent
blindness
to
one
’
s
own
.
Confession
is
offered
only
in
safe
,
flattering
quantities
.
WHE RE
IT
B RE AKS
The
same
standard
is
never
turned
inward
,
so
the
person
becomes
a
reliable
critic
and
an
unreliable
witness
.
SECT IO N
4
How
it
sounds
in
practice
Honesty
is
easier
to
recognise
in
phrasing
than
in
self
-
description
.
The
same
situation
,
two
very
different
sentences
.
S IT UAT IO N
HIG H
-
HO NE S T Y
RE S PO NS E
LO W
-
HO NE S T Y
RE S PO NS E
A
mistake
“
I
misread
the
brief
and
shipped
the
wrong
version
.
Here
is
the
fix
and
the
cost
.”
“
The
wrong
version
went
out
.”
A
disagreement
“
I
don
’
t
think
this
works
,
and
the
specific
reason
is
the
second
assumption
.”
“
It
’
s
fine
—
whatever
you
think
is
best
.”
A
limit
“
I
can
’
t
commit
to
Friday
,
but
Wednesday
is
realistic
.”
“
Sure
,
Friday
,”
followed
by
silence
.
A
confidence
“
I
told
them
what
you
said
,
because
they
asked
me
directly
.”
“
I
didn
’
t
mention
your
name
.”
An
uncertainty
“
I
’
m
guessing
this
holds
.
I
have
not
tested
it
under
load
.”
“
This
will
hold
.”
4 / 4
