Donald Thompson: We as leaders must be champions of truth

Editor’s note: Investor and serial entrepreneur Donald Thompson is a regular contributor to WRAL TechWire. His columns appear on Wednesdays.

RALEIGH – Right now, we are facing one of the biggest challenges of our times – not the pandemic but simply deciding who and what to believe. In the midst of this election season, this cultural moment and this marketing climate, we are also in the midst of an assault on the truth. If we do not push against the tide and try to discern what’s real and what’s false, it’s actually possible for facts to become irrelevant. Instead, it’s important that every one of us take the time to critically examine which data, stories, sources and officials we can trust.

Lately, it’s not enough to look at the facts. Today we’re dealing with altered video, audio and images that are becoming increasingly hard to detect. CNN recently published this guide for spotting manipulated video, audio and images. Without a discerning eye and without practice, it’s challenging to identify the modified items.

Misinformation abounds and, in this noisy, argumentative moment, where scientific facts are called into question and there seem to be multiple, competing authorities, people are quick to discount all data, even when they are confronted with the truth. It’s critical to consider the motivation of the messenger or the source of the information. What bias do they have? Is there an agenda behind their message?

Leading with truth

As people continue to be inundated with half-truths and misleading information, even from official sources, we as leaders must become champions of truth. To build our own credibility, we need to use research, data, enthusiasm and empathy to strengthen our position and our voices.

Trust takes time to build. Deloitte calls this “reputation resilience,” warning that “in today’s 24/7 media cycle, customers and other stakeholders are increasingly connected and well informed — and a reputation that’s taken decades to build can be torn apart in seconds.” It is important that you take the time to evaluate the quality of evidence your source is presenting when determining its validity.

As leaders and as trustworthy messengers, we first need to leverage facts that are based in quality research, then connect that information with emotional truth, helping our employees and customers understand what is true. Rely on respectable external authorities, independent experts and good data to support your position.

When I was growing up, information found on the internet was not considered credible or scholarly. Now, much of it is, but you need to be able to tell the difference between a reliable truth and a well-presented falsehood.

Any great persuasive argument uses logic and facts to build its thesis, but the strategy and presentation of that thesis is equally important. Look for ways to combine data and facts with an honest, human expression of the truth.

Leveraging authentic experiences

Once you’ve earned the trust of your audience with factual information, you can reinforce your message with authentic storytelling. Great messaging must come after and alongside the truth. Facts may be proven by evidence, but they gain their impact through presentation and experience.

As leaders, it’s our job to be truthful above all else and to connect that truth beyond ourselves to the products and services that our companies deliver. While statistical evidence may be difficult for the average consumer to access, it is often easy to communicate and understand. Yet people don’t tend to truly connect with numbers. It’s the authentic stories and the people telling them that forge those lasting loyalties and help build trust.

Your job as a leader is to make sure that the people you’re communicating with have all the facts and can relate to them in a compelling way, making them more likely to act on that information.

Be empathetic

The third and perhaps most overlooked element in evaluating and building credibility is empathy. Empathy requires you to understand your team’s or audience’s needs, desires, motivation and patterns.

If you are able to understand your audience’s point of view, you will be able to communicate with them in a way that is trustworthy and meaningful. By demonstrating a commitment to empathy, according to McKinsey, “companies can build a foundation of goodwill and long-lasting emotional connections with the communities they serve.”

As a leader, you should insist on collaboration, teamwork, transparency and trustworthy communication. Sometimes, the truth is uncomfortable or damaging. Great leaders don’t sugarcoat their messages, but they do empathize with their teammates and use strategic communication to present the facts. They leverage their own credibility to sell their ideas.

In this noisy, chaotic culture of information, it is increasingly difficult to have an authentic conversation, but there is good news too. People crave data and research-based, tech-enabled, trustworthy messaging. Your audience is eager for authoritative evidence and empathetic communication. Now more than ever, leaders play a pivotal role in creating powerful narratives that drive behavior change.

As business leaders, what can we do to advocate for the truth? The answer is to build the strength of our position and our messaging with good data, authentic storytelling and strategic personalization. That hinges on three things: evidence, experience and empathy.

About the Author

Donald Thompson is a serial entrepreneur, angel investor, author, podcaster, public speaker and mentor for Google’s Entrepreneurs Exchange. He is currently the CEO of Walk West, a digital marketing agency, and co-founder of The Diversity Movement, a technology-enabled diversity, equity and inclusion training firm. Donald has previously discussed this topic in his writing for the Triangle Business Journal. To hear more of Donald’s leadership advice for start-ups and entrepreneurs, sign up for his personal newsletter or visit donaldthompson.com.