7 Lessons on Courage From a Government Whistleblower
Every one of them involves protecting yourself
All of us know what it feels like to realize that something is wrong within an institution and feel torn between saying something and keeping your head down. The “something” might be fraud or corruption. It might be systemic racism and sexism. It might be a toxic boss or an instance of harassment.
You’ve likely heard of whistleblowers such as Dawn Wooten, Edward Snowden, and Chelsea Manning — people who have brought potentially explosive charges to light, drawing widespread attention from media and politicians. But whistleblowing happens in smaller ways, all the time. No matter the scope of the truth you’re telling and the number of people it involves, exposing it requires courage.
To understand how to summon that kind of strength, I talked to John Napier Tye, a former State Department official who in 2014 wrote an explosive Washington Post column exposing a rule that he said gave the American government legal authority to spy on its citizens. He’s now the founder and CEO of Whistleblower Aid, a nonprofit that helps ordinary citizens speak out against institutions.
The key to speaking out successfully: Minimizing risk at every step of the way. But it’s not just legal and professional risk. Your…
