How can we create environments where complete truth prevails?
A culture where the whole truth and nothing but the truth is welcome. Where truth that is at times not pretty can really be heard.
In our pursuit of becoming leaders who lead with a kingdom mindset, could this be a vital and sometimes overlooked element for us to have in place?
What would be the potential of an environment where the truth even when brutal is always heard?
How could hearing this whole truth mold our vision?
How could a culture like this lead us into more success and healthy growth?
How do we know if the culture we are creating around us encourages and welcomes anything to be said, even if it is in fact what no one wants to hear?
When we look at the character of Jesus did he always tell people what they wanted to hear? As a perfect example of how to love, Jesus shows us sometimes things need to be said that people will not want to hear. As leaders and coaches, how can we be sure we are creating a culture around us which invites those we lead to be brutally honest with us? A culture in an organisation where facts that highlight areas that need improvement are not ignored or buried; a culture in our leadership coaching where our clients feel free to give feedback even when bad.
Studies researching great leaders, who have successfully turned around businesses into big successes, indicate that one key leadership characteristic they held was to not be afraid to both hear and confront the brutal facts.
This last month when coaching a client we got to a particular point where we started to define her plan to transition from her current work situation to a new business she wanted to set up. It was a defining moment in our coaching. She was finally faced with the numbers staring her in the face. The targets she needed to achieve to make the leap from employed to business owner. Her first reaction was to feel overwhelmed by what she needed to achieve. Within a few weeks, she had bravely faced the reality and was creatively adjusting her original plan to fit what she felt was realistic, achievable and less overwhelming. This is a point I see so many people I coach come to; a point where in creating the plan to actually walk out a vision, they are confronted with the brutal facts.
In the studies on great leaders that succeed, each of them created an environment where people were free to give them the brutal facts, the whole truth. How can we do this as leaders and coaches?
One key to creating this type of environment is to welcome truth, ensuring that anyone who tells it will not be judged.
Another key is to lead with questions not answers. The culture that Jesus created around himself was one of strong leadership and also where disciples could ask Him questions. They regularly quizzed Him on His teachings. As a result they seemed to learn more.
Empowering leaders, seek to always understand what is not working, why things are the way they are and what the obstacles are. An environment which welcomes the asking of difficult questions helps to bring out the whole truth in any given situation.
Confronting Facts and Ushering in Change
Another success key demonstrated by great leaders and some of my bravest clients is having the courage to actually confront the brutal truth. Confronting looks like seeking to fully understand it and then having the courage to believe you can change it. True empowerment leadership for example is able to facilitate autopsies on past mistakes without assigning blame, with the purpose to learn change and move on.
Confronting uncomfortable facts, involves firstly, actually accepting that they exist and then deciding to change something in response to the facts.
One way of moving forward from here and ushering in change is to create a culture where healthy ‘vibrant’ perhaps not pretty, debate and dialogue is encouraged. This helps people to truly and fully have their say, fostering a culture where the whole truth can come out. And the side benefit to all this is that studies show that people are more motivated when the whole truth is faced. This is in contrast to when leaders lead with blind optimism refusing to look at some of the more brutal facts; a leadership method that de-motivates. In coaching this often looks like confronting your client and asking difficult questions about what went wrong and what the learnings could be. It could look like encouraging them to go and ask similar questions of others involved and not being afraid of facing the answers.
A culture where debate is encouraged also enables people to fully engage and feel like they have had their say.
So how can we tell if we are leading in a way that encourages people to tell us the whole truth and nothing but the truth, even when the truth may be hard to hear?
Maybe these questions are a good place to start.
How well do you analyse past mistakes and extract key learnings from them?
How willing do you feel to face the brutal facts in your organisation, your life and your relationships?
If you are a powerful leader, what mechanisms do you have in place to enable people you lead to give you feedback without feeling intimidated?
How do you manage not becoming offended and defensive when told facts you do not want to hear?
How good are you are asking questions to discover the whole truth?
Learning excellent coaching skills is a powerful way of developing your leadership style into one which empowers those you lead and helps you to create an environment where the whole truth is given room to surface.
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