Hans Christian Andersen’s story The Emperor’s New Clothes (1837) teaches a lesson that is still relevant today, especially in project management.
In the story, an emperor who loves his clothes hires two scammers pretending to be tailors. They promise to make him a special, invisible outfit to anyone “stupid.” Of course, no one wants to admit they can’t see the clothes, so the emperor and his advisors go along with the scam. The emperor even parades through the streets wearing nothing, and the crowd pretends they can see the outfit. Only when a child says, “But he’s wearing nothing at all!” does the truth come out. Still, the emperor keeps going, unwilling to admit the obvious.
This story reflects situations where people ignore the truth because they’re afraid to speak up.
Sounds familiar? I’ve been part of projects that echo this tale—large-scale, cross-country integrations or complex product launches—where leadership insists on a timeline that no one believes is achievable. The days move on, and yet no one dares to challenge the feasibility of the goal, fearing they’ll be seen as the “fool” in the room.
In project management, these “Emperor’s New Clothes” moments can happen when people are afraid to ask tough questions or challenge unrealistic goals. But the best thing we can do is speak up and ensure we’re honest about what’s achievable.
Let’s aim for transparency in our projects and not be afraid to ask difficult questions before it’s too late.
