Power Play: Never underestimate the damage of a lie

“A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting its shoes on.”

Mark Twain is responsible for this brilliant statement. Power Players understand the brute force that a lie carries when it isn’t arrested by the truth.

They also know that the best way to neutralise a lie is to get the real story out there and fast. If a lie is making the rounds, get mobilised – and quickly.

The minute it gets repeated – or worse, reported as fact – it’s almost impossible to correct. Many a decent soul has been felled with a lie or half-truth because they (stupidly) thought it would go away all by itself.

Getting on the front foot of a lie and telling the real story is a tactic all accomplished Power Players have in their trick bag. They don’t hesitate even for a second if they think the story has been perverted.

No matter how squeaky clean the Power Player, a little mud will always stick. If the truth is at risk, don’t hope for the best. Stop the lie in its track and use the truth to do it.