Leaders drive change within an organization by providing inspiration and direction for all to follow. Here are some tips on what leaders can do to promote openness, honesty, and ethical behavior as part of a strategic communication plan, according to Larry Johnson and Bob Phillips, coauthors of Absolute Honesty: Building a Corporate Culture That Values Straight Talk and Rewards Integrity.

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1. Insist on candor. Repeat your insistence for honesty early and often. Make it one of the reasons you hire people, and include it as a factor in performance reviews. Clearly publicize and make sure everyone has a copy of your expectations in terms of honesty and openness.

2. Create debate groups and reverse roles. This makes disagreements more of a game, taking away some of the reluctance people might have in speaking up. Reversing roles and arguing both sides of an issue allows people to see the validity of other people’s viewpoints.

3. Restrain your own brilliance. Chances are, you’re a leader because you’re smart and well spoken. Don’t intimidate people and cause them to clam up by hogging the stage.

4. Lead by example. As a leader, you are who people look to for guidance, both in what you say and what you do. Make sure your actions and words align with your desire for an open, honest company.

5. Send a message. Create a steering committee that involves top management, middle managers, and line workers. The committee, which should meet quarterly, will oversee the design, implementation, and operation of the company’s ethics program. Having people from all levels of the company intimately involved with ethics and honesty sends the message that they’re as important as profits.

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