The Emperor’s New Clothes

Adapted from Hans Christian Andersen’s fairytale (1837) Once upon a time, there was an emperor who was obsessed with fine clothing. One day, two strangers arrived at his palace claiming they could weave a magical fabric. This fabric, they said, could only be seen by those who were competent in their work and not foolish. Eager to wear such a garment, the vain emperor commissioned the weavers to create him a robe. He provided them with gold and silk, which they secretly kept for themselves. Pretending to work, they sat at empty looms. Curious but nervous, the emperor didn’t dare inspect the work himself. He feared he might not see the cloth and be thought a fool. So he sent a trusted minister. The old minister saw nothing on the looms but, not wanting to appear unfit for his job, he praised the cloth’s beauty. The weavers asked for even more gold and silk. Later, another official was sent to inspect. Like the minister, he saw nothing but also praised the invisible fabric out of fear. Eventually, the emperor decided to see the fabric himself. When he saw the empty looms, he was shocked but since everyone around him admired the work, he joined in and complimented the craftsmanship. The weavers then pretended to dress the emperor in his “new clothes.” The emperor, now “clothed,” proudly paraded through the city. The townspeople, too afraid to admit they saw nothing, applauded his glorious attire.Then suddenly, a child shouted, “But the emperor isn’t wearing any clothes!”


At first, the crowd was silent. Then the whispers grew louder until everyone echoed the truth. The emperor knew they were right but too proud to admit it, he kept walking as if nothing was wrong.


Food for thought

  • Are you surrounded by people who tell you the truth, or only what you want to hear?
  • How often do we value appearances over honesty?
  • Would you be brave enough to be the one who speaks up like the child?
  • As a leader or team member, are you helping build truth or illusion? 
  • “True leadership begins where ego ends, and honesty begins.”