CLIMATE CONTROL: 5 Ways You May Be Blindly Contributing to a Toxic Climate

For 38 years, I lived in the Northeast—hot summers, crisp falls, brutal winters, and stormy springs. That was my reality. Then, I moved to South Florida. Despite the summer humidity, I understood why people loved it. The climate mattered. It made a difference.

In How the Mighty Fall, Jim Collins tells of an executive who left a thriving company before its collapse. His reason? "They started ignoring the data. A climate of denial is a sure sign everything will go south soon." That phrase floored me.

Where in your life are you ignoring the obvious? What truth are you denying?

Jordan Peterson warns, "Start to stop doing what you know to be wrong." But here's the problem—we often pretend we don't know. Like the parents in There is No Such Thing as a Dragon, we ignore reality until it grows too big to contain.

Here are five signs you're creating a climate of denial and heading for a brutal collision with truth:

1?? Hiding the Truth – "Do NOT let them see that." Covering up problems only makes them worse. Face them head-on.

2?? Discounting the Truth – "It's not as bad as it looks." The best leaders don't sugarcoat reality. They embrace it fully.

3?? Excusing the Truth – "Here's why this happened..." Stop defending. Start asking better questions. Get curious, not defensive.

4?? Blaming for the Truth – "It's their fault." Great leaders own responsibility. No excuses. No passing the buck.

5?? Dodging the Truth – Rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. Useless distractions won't save you. Address the real issue before it sinks you.

Where in your life are you nurturing a climate of denial? Facing the truth is hard. But crashing into it blindly? That's even harder.

Choose your hard.

Keep on keepin' on, friends.