As a boss, you have to keep your ego in check if you want to create a culture in your business that encourages workers to be transparent and tell the truth, Dana Theus notes in a recent SmartBlog on Leadership post. A recent survey found that four out of five workers had been penalized for telling the truth, with 70 percent blaming their bosses’ swollen egos for getting in the way.

“Many people report that being penalized for speaking their truth made them quit or seek employment elsewhere. Speaking truth isn’t just another career skill, like negotiating a salary package, it really hits people at their core and is related to feeling like they’re being true to themselves as human beings,” Theus says. “Seventy-six percent said when they withheld their truth they regretted it later. So, if almost half your employees aren’t comfortable speaking their truth to you, and the majority of them regret having to bite their tongues, it’s logical to think that this issue is contributing to the increased levels of job dissatisfaction and loyalty we see reported lately.”