Consequences of Alternative Facts

“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32.

I’ve been thinking about these words since I saw our new president perform his first official public act. There he stood before the assembled members of the CIA, in front of the Memorial Wall, which honors CIA agents killed in the line of duty.

The CIA, an organization dedicated to seeing through lies and obfuscation to get at the truth and protect the United States and her citizens.

What I didn’t see was the inscription opposite the Memorial Wall directly in the president’s line of sight. Yes, this one.

“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Strong words in times when senior government officials talk about alternative facts as though facts are mutable.

In spite of all the disclaimers to the contrary, facts are facts. Facts tell the truth. If they have been backed up with sufficient information they stand as true unless and until new, concrete, information surfaces indicating they are no longer true or have been modified.

We used to believe our world was flat…this taken as fact. Then science and experience established the fact that the world is round. And now that it has been proven round, it will remain round to all. Even those who choose to deny science in order to believe things are as they would like them to be, regardless of reality, live on a round world.

Denying facts has grave consequences. Whether you believe it’s the fault of people or a natural phenomenon of the way weather shifts over millennia, the fact is that rising temperatures are driving sea levels higher and are already causing major coastal and other damage. Denying this fact and in doing so not taking steps to protect those at risk is an action of ignorance and incompetence. And it is simply unconscionable.

Acting on your own “facts” which are not backed up by reality, leads to bad, even cataclysmic results. In the case of governments not preparing for rising sea levels, bad results include death and destruction of major proportions.

In the case of your business, the same death and destruction can result.

Death and destruction of your employees, suppliers, customers, and community. And your business.

Why is it that so many supposedly capable leaders are blind to this one crucial fact: ignoring or denying truth and reality eventually leads to bad results.

In fact, a fair amount of poor business practices and thus poor business outcomes are the result of leaders creating their own facts. Alternative Facts as they are now called. (In the old days, they were politely called fabrications. Impolitely, they were called lies.)

Alternative Facts lead you down paths that vanish as the truth becomes known and reality takes over. And it always will. Think about the pharmaceutical company that disregards the many studies that show significant adverse reactions to a drug while highlighting the single study that shows it might be effective. Putting profit before truth and customer health, the leaders hope the revenue will roll in before the truth comes out.

Good leadership and management are about being open and honest. They’re about working with the facts as they are and creating the best solutions for long term success. They’re about having the character to do the right thing…always.

And as for those Alternative Facts, sunlight is the best disinfectant. And when the facts become clear, “ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.”