During an organization’s management meetings, employees who report bad news and significant risks are treated...

The tone at the top refers to the ethical and cultural attitude demonstrated by senior leadership. If employees fear blame for reporting risks, this reflects a poor tone at the top. Changing leadership’s attitude to encourage openness, transparency, and a no-blame culture is necessary to improve communication of risks. While accountability, leadership, and ethics matter, the root cause here is the tone at the top.