There’s a concept called the prisoner’s dilemma.

It involves two criminals locked up and pressured to confess.

If one confesses while the other remains silent, the silent one bears the full brunt of the other’s sentence.

If neither confesses, the crimes remain unproven, resulting in a very light punishment. If both confess, they are equally punished—a classic dilemma.

Theoretically, the best outcome is for both to remain silent, but in reality, similar situations often lead to both confessing.

Why? Because, like the executive in front of me, they cannot trust one another.

“Be specific.”

The executive, a director of our …