To Be Honest - by Ron A Carucci (Hardcover)

About the Book

Unleash a culture of purpose, honesty and justice that employees crave by eliminating the cultural conditions that prompt otherwise honest people to distort the truth.

Book Synopsis

WINNER: NYC Big Book Award 2021 - Business General
WINNER: Goody Business Book Awards - Business General
FINALIST: Good Business Book Awards - Leadership: General and Think Differently
Selected as one of Bloomberg's Best Books of 2021: Nominated by the founder and executive director of the Aspen Institute Business and Society Program
DISTINGUISHED FAVORITE: Independent Press Award 2022 - Business General

Under what conditions will people tell the truth, behave fairly and act with purpose at work? And when will they lie, cheat and be selfish?

Based on 15 years of research, To Be Honest explains how four factors (Clear Identity, Accountability, Governance and Cross-Functional Relationships) affect honesty, justice and purpose within a company. When these factors are absent or ineffective, the organizational conditions compel employees to choose dishonesty and self-interest. But when done well, the organization is 16 times more likely to have people tell the truth, behave fairly and serve a greater good.

To Be Honest shares the stories of leaders who have acted with purpose, honesty and justice even when it was difficult to do so. In-depth interviews with CEOs and senior executives from exemplar companies such as Patagonia, Cabot Creamery, Microsoft and others reveal what it takes to build purpose-driven companies of honesty and justice. Interviews with thought leaders like Jonathan Haidt, Amy Edmondson, Dan Ariely and James Detert offer rich insights on how leaders can become more honest and purposeful. You'll learn how Hubert Joly took Best Buy from a company on the brink of bankruptcy to one that is profitable, thriving and purposeful.

Filled with real-life examples, To Be Honest offers actionable steps, practical tools and approaches that any leader or manager can use to create a culture of purpose, honesty and justice.

Review Quotes

"To Be Honest is a fresh look at a concept our world has too long taken for granted. Ron Carucci masterfully weaves together inspiring stories with groundbreaking research. You simply won't come away from this book unchanged."-- "Dr. Tasha Eurich, New York Times bestselling author, Insight and Bankable Leadership"

"Ron A. Carucci is one of our wisest contemporary thinkers on leadership. To Be Honest reveals just what it takes for corporations and leaders to sustain their integrity, and provides thoughtful, strategic and practical recommendations that leaders can use to build a strong, ethical, purpose-driven culture. This is a clarion call for corporations (and the people who work in them) to discover and remain at their absolute best."-- "Dorie Clark, author of Reinventing You and executive education faculty, Duke University Fuqua School of Business"

"Ron A. Carucci brilliantly distills the power of purpose in business, combined with such essential values as authenticity, transparency, respect and fairness, and shows how these values are key to building extraordinary, honest companies."-- "Hubert Joly, Harvard Business School professor, author of The Heart of Business and former CEO of Best Buy"

"Ron Carucci has put his finger on what our organizations and our world needs most right now: truth-telling in a way that people can hear, and closing the gap between who we say we are and what we do. In To Be Honest, Carucci recognizes that serving justice is not only a leader's and an organization's highest purpose; he has given us a well-lit path to meaningful work, joyful community, innovative organizations and the society we want for our children and theirs."-- "Jay Coen Gilbert, cofounder B Lab and the B Corp movement; CEO Imperative 21"

"A powerful tour de force! To Be Honest is an exceptional compilation of stories, well-researched insights and truth for leaders to keep the trust of their teams and lead through difficult situations. This is a must-read for every business professional if they want the keys to building trusting, foundational leadership."-- "Marshall Goldsmith, New York Times #1 bestselling author of Triggers, Mojo and What Got You Here Won't Get You There"

"A practical, resourceful and fascinating must-read for any organizational leader. To Be Honest is a thoughtful book rooted in years of psychology and behavioral science research. Supplemented by personal stories and journeys of those who have faced the challenge of what it truly means to be honest and how that principle fundamentally affects behaviors, Ron Carucci masterfully created an action-oriented resource to be used in the workplace and beyond. One would be remiss if To Be Honest did not reside in their personal library."-- "Tiffany A. Archer, JD, Ethics & Compliance Officer, Panasonic Avionics"

"Be who you say you are. It's one of the hardest S-curves of learning we'll ever climb: that of character. To be honest, now more than ever, we need Ron A. Carucci's well-researched, whole-hearted, thought-provoking book."-- "Whitney Johnson, bestselling author of Build an A-Team and LinkedIn 2020 Top Voice."

"Honesty with ourselves and in our day-to-day interactions is a force multiplier. But how do we achieve this? Ron Carucci brilliantly gives us the frameworks and stories to help us leverage honesty as a superpower to generate hope, trust and a lasting legacy for ourselves and those around us."-- "Sanyin Siang, Professor, Duke University, Executive Director, Coach K Center for Leadership & Ethics, Duke Fuqua School of Business, and Thinkers50 #1 Coach & Mentor"

"If you want a blueprint for creating an organization where people freely tell you the truth, treat each other fairly and serve your mission with a sense of purpose, you need to read To Be Honest. Ron A. Carucci's blending of inspiring stories and careful research changes what we understand honesty to mean, and how we cultivate it."-- "Amy C. Edmonson, PhD, Harvard Business School professor and author of The Fearless Organization"

"It turns out much of the nonsense in organizations isn't just a nuisance, it's dangerous. It brings out the worst in people. To compete today, organizations need greater empathy, which starts with greater self-honesty. To Be Honest is an amazing resource for leaders who want to bring out the best in their people and companies, and to rediscover the noble integrity underneath good, practical common sense."-- "Martin Lindstrom, bestselling author of The Ministry of Common Sense and Buyology"

"Leaders, at every organizational level, are increasingly facing the challenges of our complex world where their leadership and character are put to the test. Great leadership today spans well beyond our corporate walls into society and the communities in which we operate. To Be Honest is a powerful guide for any leader who wants to lean into candid, messy conversations confident and prepared, bolster your courage to do the right thing, even when it's hard and live fully into your purpose instead of being asleep at your own switch. You will emerge from your experience of this book more passionate about truth, justice and purpose than you imagined possible."-- "Sandy Stelling, Vice President - Strategy, Analytics & Transformation, Alaska Airlines"

"Nations, corporations, universities and communities of all kinds are hungry for greater honesty from their leaders and organizations. However, even the most well-intended among them fall short in delivering truth, justice and purpose to those they serve. To Be Honest will dramatically change that story. Read this book with your entire team and (together ) change the world around you. There is so much at stake."-- "Jim Clifton, Chairman and CEO, Gallup"

"Our world is starved to move past polarization and "we-they" behavior, and come together to embrace our differences, and have greater civic discourse on the most important issues of the day. What we need is a guide on how to do this effectively, with empathy, moral leadership and the courage to be honest. To Be Honest is an inspirational, compelling compass to guide us on the path to become the best versions of ourselves and the most honest we can be."-- "Ananya Mukherjee, Provost, University of British Columbia"

"Powerful, inspiring and perfectly timed, To Be Honest explains why some companies succeed and so many fail in matching daily action to lofty words. Ron A. Carucci uses well-researched examples and insights from behavioral science to support this important conclusions. If you want to build a high-integrity workplace (brimming with honesty, trust and purpose) you should read this book."-- "Safi Bahcall, author of international bestseller Loonshots"

"The world is clamoring for leadership they can trust and emulate. As our experience of dishonesty has escalated in business, government and all forms of media, we continue to raise the bar exponentially for honesty in our leaders. In To Be Honest, Carucci provides leaders a treasure trove of practical guidance and inspiring cases to shape their personal leadership, and their organizations, into examples of honesty others will be proud to follow."-- "Jennifer McCollum, CEO, Linkage"

"There are so many reasons to read Ron Carucci's new book, but if I were to name just one, I would say because it will help you see that voicing and enacting your values (effectively) is actually possible in so many more ways and contexts than we typically believe it to be. Through positive stories, through compelling research evidence, through inspiriting and accessible prose, Carucci shares hope, commitment and importantly, actionable strategies for values-driven leadership. Readers cannot help but come away both more inspired and more morally competent."-- "Mary C. Gentile PhD, Giving Voice To Values: How To Speak Your Mind When You Know What's Right"

"This book will expand your understanding of honesty and make you long for more of it in your life. If you want to infuse your corporate culture with a sense of justice and purpose, this book is an urgent, essential read."-- "Daniel H. Pink, author of When, To Sell is Human and Drive"

About the Author

Ron Carucci has a 30-year track record helping CEOs and executives tackle challenges of strategy, organization and leadership in 25 countries at more than 100 companies. He is co-founder and managing partner at Navalent and is based in Fairfield, Connecticut. He serves on the advisory board of Ethical Systems at New York University, previously served as associate professor of organizational behavior at Fordham University Graduate School and adjunct at the Center for Creative Leadership. He is a sought-after speaker, a regular contributor to Harvard Business Review and Forbes, and author/co-author of eight books.