My story is entitled an ordinary person Mr. Kwame Zombie speaking truth to power.

My story is entitled an ordinary person Mr. Kwame Zombie speaking truth to power.

There is a saying and I quote :

"'The truth that makes men free is for the most part the truth which men prefer not to hear."

- Herbert Agar. - A Time of Greatness (1942).

Speaking truth to power is perhaps the oldest and certainly one of the most difficult of ethical challenges because to do so entails personal danger and all sorts of risks involved.

Also due to the uncertainty of life most people do not like telling the truth as this will reveal all sorts of secrets entirely to them.

To question the decision of bosses who ruled by force means was to risk death.

Others also argue that it is always difficult in telling the truth although speaking the truth leads to power.

As observed in this story that Mr. Kwame Zombie spoke eloquently the truth to power in all matters and decisions.

The major theme running in the play Antigone is the perils of speaking truth to power. Nobody likes the bringer of bad news this is because bad news seeks to hurt ones feelings in life and it is very risky it sometimes causes death and shock.

Listening to them is a sign of weakness and a threat to his power.

Haemon musters the courage to tell his father that your presence frightens my common man from saying things you would not care to hear.He also says that whoever thinks that he alone is wise, his eloquence, his mind, above the rest came unfolding and shows his emptiness.

A man who has power, though wise should never be ashamed of learning more and must unbend his mind. Men were born perfect in wisdom and it can be no dishonour to lean from others when they speak good sense. The ordinary person spoke truth to power but Michael stubbornly refuses to listen and, in the end brings death to his family, ruin on himself and also destruction to his country.

The messenger and the King both faced ethical choices. The guard will be likely killed if he speaks truth to power. It is noted that Stubbornness and Stupidity are twins.

Speak your minds as the truth to power. Several managers were fired for disloyalty that is having spoken truth to power. Also, truth to power leads to worker productivity.

The rare ability to learn and to change was a good bet that they would continue to be a remarkable success when they speak truth to power. People supported the status quo, managers spoke the truth to power. Due to the fact that the success of the company was due to the fact that he had surrounded himself with managers more talented. Also, candor was rewarded in instances of Managers.

Also, in speaking truth to power, he would be obligated to stir up controversy, respect no authority and resist pressures to engage in some detailed analyses.

As noted by Mr. Kwame Zombie, Nancy Reeves suggested that speaking truth to power might be more of a natural role for women than for men. Women receive their due public recognition for their willingness to speak truth to power. Women spoke truth to power in a courageous manner.

Also speaking truth to power is a threatening exercise because it entails owning up to serious errors.

Again, speaking truth to power is a non-violent political tactic employed by dissidents against the received wisdom or propaganda of governments. They regard the aspect of speaking truth to power as oppressive, authoritarian, or an ideocracy.

In addition, the concept of speaking truth to power was also known as parrhesia.

As according to Michael Foucault only the courageous may pursue the truth to power, as they risk losing all sorts of friends. Noam Chomsky also asserts that power knows the truth already and is busy concealing it.

It is always the oppressed who need to hear the truth and not the oppressor.

In addition, in times of speaking the truth Dietrich Bonhoeffer in Nazi Germany and Martin Luther King Jr. in the U.S. were known as the people who lost their lives for speaking the truth. Michael Foucault spoke and wrote about power and oppression.

Also the aspect of transparency and speaking truth to power are generally considered to be good things and most leaders would claim to lead organizations in which the employees are free to speak up at all times and also challenge senior managers.

They also recognize that the absence of honest dialogue across the hierarchy gets in the way of performance and organizational truth telling.

Speaking truth to power needs someone who feels able to speak up and someone with more power to listen. Speaking truth to power starts with those who hold most power.

Gill Corkindale wrote an Article on the Price of not speaking truth to power and that it is not easy to speak truth to power. Speaking truth to power also involves risks.

An organization creates a culture of candor, in which followers are always free to speak truth to power and leaders are always willing to hear it. Also, integrity does not entail telling the truth. Again, careless with telling the truth can be hurtful and ultimately fatal to relationships.

In addition, before speaking truth to power, it can be considered virtuous, the act must seek to meet several criteria as observed by Mr. Kwame Zombie. Among them includes the fact that

a)     It must be truthful.

b)    It must not do any harm to the innocents.

c)     It must also be self-interested and other benefits must go to the others or the organization.

d)    It must also be a product of some sort of moral reflection.

e)    The messenger must be willing to pay a price.

f)      It must not be done out of spite or any sort of anger.

Finally, I will like to conclude that we all have a moral obligation to speak truth to power when the actions of leaders are harmful to our organization, to people inside and outside the organization and to the leaders themselves entirely.