In 1630, when John Winthrop spoke of America as a “city on a hill,” he wasn’t speaking of American exceptionalism. He meant it as an admonition. That a city on a hill can’t hide. That the world was watching and that this new country—built around virtue—needed to be a good example. The decision to live and work with transparency serves as a kind of immunization against corruption, dishonor, or dishonesty.
