Lying
The subject of lying is best handled with a firm tongue in cheek. Lying successfully involves skill in self-presentation and impression management. Research suggests a successful liar has to choose words carefully to make the lie plausible. Nonverbal cues must also be monitored and carefully controlled, speaking clearly and fluently, without hesitations, pauses, and suspicion-arousing ums and uhs. Maintaining eye contact, appearing poised and confident, and maintaining a generally pleasant expression without appearing to engage in what Paul Ekman, calls duping delight, that Alberto Gonzalez, Todd Stroger, even Bernie Madoff smart ass smile you wish someone would come and slap right off their face.
In short, successful deception is all about skilled social performance. But much of leadership, particularly the public aspects of leadership involve the very same social skills that are involved in lying successfully. To be successful, the liar, and the leader, must create the impression of forthrightness and confidence. A stumbling, faltering performance leads the audience to suspect the liar and to lose faith in the leader.
Two critical social skills combined seem to connect the effective liar and the effective leader. Savoir faire is the connection. In very early research, we discovered that people with savoir-faire were more successful liars. Our current research is showing those with savoir-faire are more likely to be selected for leadership positions, and they are more successful leaders.
So, do presidents and other national leaders lie? Of course. The main premise of Robert Feldman's book The Liar In Your Life is that we all lie, and lie more frequently than we think. But most often these lies are inconsequential, what we call the little white lies, love the dress, that make up part of the social fabric of everyday life.
The larger issue is about integrity. Does a president have the ability to lie, and to lie successfully? Yes. Our research suggests that leaders don't get to be leaders unless they possess the same sophisticated social skills that allow liars to get away with lying.
But leaders who lie, particularly to their constituents, and particularly when those lies have important consequences, can lose support, and their effectiveness. Let’s don’t go there.
Psychology Today
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