Truth

What?

The truth can be harsh, but at the end of the day, we would rather hear that than a sugar-coated version or a flat-out lie. When it comes to leading, we need to be truthful. As leaders, we need to gain trust in our people. No matter how hard the news, facts, or truth is, it needs to be said. This also applies to facing the truth as leaders, we don’t want to create a false reality for ourselves or the people in our organization or life. Winston Churchill said “Facts are better than dreams”, knowing the full truth will let your goals become more obtainable.

So What?

Why should we care about brutal facts? Brutal facts are the only gateway to finding a solution. If a problem is at hand, we want to understand the problem fully as leaders. If we miss a part of a problem we may run into other issues down the road. Jim Collins elaborates on this by stating “…Leadership is about vision. But leadership is equally about creating a climate where the truth is heard and the brutal facts confronted. There’s a huge difference between the opportunity to “have your say” and the opportunity to be heard.” (Collins, 2001). An aspect of leadership that, to me, is often overlooked is that as a leader you guide the vision. As a leader, you are guiding people to the dream, idea, vision, opportunity, really anything. Leaders have to be able to balance a lot. You must be able to balance a positive environment when things get rough, but also keep balance when things are good. As leaders, we must harness the skill of facing and telling the harsh truth while also flowing comradery and positivity.

Now What?

Truth or facts are impactful. They can truly change your team’s perspective. As I talked about in my blog last week, change is inevitable. 3×5 Leadership states “Leaders defining reality means seeking and surfacing the truth for the team. Improving team performance requires change. To prove the need for change, the team must face their honest reality. This can require addressing brutal facts that have been hidden or ignored. It can be just like any process to recovery – the first step is admitting you have a problem.” (3×5 Leadership, 2020) In change lies the truth, and truth lies in change. To move forward with ourselves or our lives, we need to face the facts. Whether this is as a leader or individual, it’s necessary. For me, I’m finally facing my truth, and I’m doing it head-on. For the first time, I’m finally taking a good look at my past and trying to find the truth in it. I’m trying to figure out the facts and the events in my life that lead me to where I am today but also to who I am today. This will be hard, but I feel I’m ready to face these things, good or bad. The truth will set you free, it carries all the answers you need to know.

References:

Bowen. (2021, June 4). Leaders seek and surface the truth. 3×5 Leadership. Retrieved November 10, 2021, from https://3x5leadership.com/2020/08/16/leaders-seek-and-surface-the-truth/.

Collins, J. (2008). Confront the brutal facts. Jim Collins – Concepts – Confront The Brutal Facts. Retrieved November 10, 2021, from https://www.jimcollins.com/concepts/confront-the-brutal-facts.html.