Don't Be Afraid of the Truth

Many leaders live in a constant state of denial. They refuse to confront painful emotions or situations that make them feel helpless, out of control, or a failure. We often see denial as a coping mechanism by those who have an alcohol or other substance abuse disorder. Mark Twain once wrote, “The truth has no defense against a fool determined to believe a lie.” The addict can still function at home or work, so it’s really not a problem, is it? Deny, deny, deny.

A tremendous tool for leadership growth is being able to embrace and accept the truth, in any given situation or circumstance. Jesus said, “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). There is freedom in knowing the truth. Where can we find it? God’s Word for starters, as He reminds us in Psalm 119:160, “The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.”?

If we accept the Bible as truth, we also accept that some of that truth is difficult to hear and accept. This is also a characteristic of truth in general—sometimes it is hard to listen to and internalize. But if we deny, we build our life on lies. This is a house of cards, and at some point we will have a hard fall into the truth we found tough to accept.

To grow as leaders, we must realize that only in truth can we learn, grow, adjust and expand in our capacity. We must insist that those around us have the freedom to tell the truth. And we must learn to recognize the difference between the truth, and fiction that may satisfy our ears and emotions, but not lead us to anything helpful or significant. Today, encourage those around you to speak the truth, even if it may be tough for you to hear. Note the difference too between?your truth?and?the truth—real truth is always true, not true only from a certain perspective. Adopt a mindset that wants to hear instead of avoid, and looks at hard truth as an opportunity to learn and grow.?