While most organizations claim to value honesty and candid feedback, to reward leadership and care about development, much of that is a facade, according to Thane Bellomo. After more than 25 years advising Fortune 500 companies and executive teams, Bellomo, founder of Bellomo Leadership and author of Teamwork and Talent Development, has come to a stark conclusion. Many companies operate in what he calls a “lie economy.”
“We say the right things,” Bellomo explains. “We want honest feedback. We care about development. Bring your whole self to work. But often we don’t mean them.” In his forthcoming book, The Courage Economy, he lays out a different model. One where truth, not comfort, becomes the operating currency of leadership.
Step One: Name the Lies
Every culture has a gap between what it says and what it rewards. Bellomo argues that closing that gap begins with confronting it directly. “These are the lies of comfort,” he says. “Safe to say, but costly when they go unchallenged.” In practical terms, this means leaders must identify the disconnect between stated values and actual behavior. Do leaders claim to value feedback but sideline those who challenge them? Do they celebrate accountability but tolerate political maneuvering from high performers?
“In a courage economy, the first step is honesty,” Bellomo says. “Leaders must name what’s broken.” That naming requires discipline. Teams must be willing to ask uncomfortable questions: What do we pretend to value? What are the unspoken rules that shape behavior more than our official principles? Until those questions are answered, culture remains aspirational rather than operational.
Step Two: Build and Enforce Real Standards
Courage, in Bellomo’s framework, is not abstract. It is behavioral and measurable. “In a courage economy, everyone knows what good looks like,” he explains. “And we hold each other to it.” Too many organizations, he argues, tolerate inconsistency or underperformance, because difficult conversations are avoided. Political behavior goes unchecked and standards erode gradually.
True leadership requires choosing clarity over comfort. Standards must be clear, public, and tied directly to organizational values. More importantly, they must apply universally. “When someone falls short, whether they’re an intern or an SVP, you address it,” Bellomo says. “Courage isn’t just about truth-telling. It’s about consistent accountability.”
This consistency sends a powerful signal. It demonstrates that values are not slogans but operating principles.
Step Three: Reward Courage, Not Compliance
Perhaps the most counterintuitive shift that Bellomo advocates is rethinking what gets recognized. “Most performance systems reward conformity,” he says. “Saying yes. Playing nice. Fitting in.” In a courage economy, the currency changes. Leaders actively reward those who challenge assumptions, surface risks, and provide honest feedback even when it is uncomfortable.
Bellomo recounts working with a client who implemented a peer-nominated “courage coin” system, recognizing acts of truth telling and accountability. Over time, the recognition shifted what employees perceived as valuable behavior. “If you want more courage in your culture, you have to treat it like any other business asset,” Bellomo explains. “Measure it. Model it. Reward it.” Recognition systems signal priorities. When courage is visible and valued, it becomes contagious.
The Return on Courage
Building a courage economy is not about fearlessness. It requires discipline, discomfort, and sustained leadership attention. “It takes work,” Bellomo says. “It costs something. But the return is enormous.” That return shows up in stronger leadership alignment, more meaningful development conversations, faster decision-making, and teams that trust one another because truth is normalized.
For Bellomo, the alternative is stagnation. Organizations trapped in a lie economy may appear stable, but beneath the surface, disengagement and avoidance erode performance. “Let’s stop pretending and start leading,” he says.
Connect with Thane Bellomo on LinkedIn for more insights or visit his website for more insights.
