ABSTRACT
No amount of incantation or legislation can make an organization transparent. That happens only when an organization creates a culture of candor, one in which followers feel free to speak truth to power and leaders are willing to hear it. Observers of the recent scandals at both The New York Times and USA Today claim that editors had allowed a toxic caste system to develop. Ordinary mortals like having their egos massaged. Great leaders ask not to be spared. They want to know everything, not just the good news, because they understand that the more they know the better their decisions will be. Principled dissidents should not simply be tolerated. They should be rewarded. And those who are close to the top and don't speak out should be punished. That alone sends a powerful message to the rest of the organization that speaking truth to power is not some odd and embarrassing happening but an obligation.
