#360: You can’t handle the truth
As a leader, the importance of being objective and hearing the hard truth is paramount to success
Regularly, 1,500 or so people open this email each week. We lose a subscriber occasionally and get a new one here and there. Last week, we lost over 100 subscribers after publishing on the 1st day. For those who didn’t read the article or open the email, I wrote about leadership characteristics and used President Biden’s State of the Union address to show where he may or may not have been lacking. The featured picture was of the President at the podium. I did my best to be neutral, assessing only the characteristics, not the character or policies.
One can only assume that when seeing the picture of the President and the title “Leadership Lessons from Washington DC,” the unsubscribers decided to run instead of reading something that might be unpleasant. This inspired today’s column, where I feature Colonel Nathan R. Jessup from the 1992 film, “A Few Good Men.” This courtroom drama scene was one of the best I have ever seen, and where we hear the now famous line, “You want the truth? You can’t handle the truth.” Forced into a corner by the skillful lawyer, Lt. Daniel Kaffee, Jessup can’t help but tell the truth. His monologue is outstanding and worth a review.
The essence of the monologue is that we only want to hear the good things in life. We don’t like to hear how the sausage is made or what problems are lurking around the corner. If you want to be a true leader of your team, you need to keep this in mind.
Can you handle the truth?
For those of you who have stuck around this far, here’s your question of the day. Are you a leader who wants to hear the truth, no matter how bad it is? Or do you want to run and hide like the 100 former readers because, God forbid, something might be uncomfortable?
Many people in positions of power claim they have an open-door policy and encourage those around them to air their grievances. But in reality, they are defiant and smug and surround themselves with yes men and women. In John Maxwell’s 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, he speaks about the Law of the Inner Circle. The Law of the Inner Circle states, “A leader’s potential is determined by those closest to him.” Who is closest to you? Who do you listen to? Is it those that will tell you the truth or those that tell you what you want to hear?
We need to hear it all!
Our society has burrowed more profoundly and deeper into their silos. We feel so much better when listening and reading others’ opinions that agree with our own. Further down the hole we go, where we find 100% agreement and no uncomfortable engagements. It feels great to have zero conflict in life. When an awkward email pops up, we delete it and move on to the next article.
How can this be healthy for a society with over 300 million individuals? What are we missing if we don’t hear what the options are? You are doing yourself a disservice if you don’t encourage debate. Even if your ideas are close to perfect, it will do you well to have someone take the opposite view and try to poke as many holes in it as possible.
There is a great exercise we learned in marketing called SWOT. Identifying an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. It’s easy to find strengths and opportunities, but we fall short when getting people to point out our weaknesses and threats. We need to encourage team members to critique us and feel comfortable doing so. Encouraging your subordinates to feel comfortable criticizing your ideas fosters an environment of openness, trust, and innovation.
Here are some strategies to achieve this:
Lead by Example: Demonstrate openness to feedback by actively seeking input from your team and showing appreciation for constructive criticism.
Create a Safe Space: Establish a safe and non-judgmental environment where team members can freely express their opinions without fear of reprisal or judgment.
Normalize Feedback: Emphasize the importance of feedback as a tool for improvement and growth. Normalize the practice of giving and receiving constructive criticism.
Provide Constructive Feedback Training: Offer training or workshops on giving and receiving feedback effectively to equip your team with the skills and confidence to communicate openly.
Encourage Diverse Perspectives: Value diverse viewpoints and encourage team members to share their unique insights and experiences, even if they differ from your own.
Acknowledge Contributions: Recognize and appreciate team members who provide valuable feedback, whether or not it aligns with your initial ideas.
Separate Person from Idea: Emphasize that feedback is about improving ideas and outcomes, not criticizing individuals. Encourage a focus on the merits of the concept rather than personal attacks.
Follow Up: Act on feedback when appropriate and demonstrate that you value your team’s input by implementing changes or adjustments based on their suggestions.
Encourage Open Dialogue: Foster open dialogue during meetings and discussions, actively solicit feedback, and invite team members to share their thoughts and concerns.
Celebrate Learning Opportunities: Frame feedback as an opportunity for learning and growth rather than a negative experience. Encourage a culture where mistakes are seen as learning opportunities.
By implementing these strategies, you can create an environment where your subordinates feel comfortable and empowered to offer constructive criticism, ultimately leading to improved teamwork, innovation, and overall performance.
Everyone won’t always have a different view on things, but there is always a different view of someone. If you want to hear the hard truth, contact us at the Kole Performance Group for a 30-minute free consultation.