OneTRUTH Leadership Implications for Business and Our Lives

I am convinced that one of the things we are lacking the most today is leadership. Or should I say leadership that is looking out for the interests of most people, and not just their own interests.?There has been a great deal written about leadership, and I do not intend to offer any great new insight, but OneTRUTH Leadership provides a strong link between leadership and TRUTH to explore further.

There is a provocative saying about leadership, discipleship, and the search for truth that is commonly attributed to the Czech statesman Václav Havel who passed away in 2011. Here are two versions:

Follow the man who seeks the truth; run from the man who has found it.

Seek the company of those who search for truth; run from those who have found it.

But why should leaders be interested in seeking the truth? The answer lies in the intersection between truth and trust. Research by Kouzes and Posner, authors of "The Leadership Challenge," found that honesty is the most admired characteristic of a leader. Leaders who demonstrate honesty and transparency in their actions foster an environment of trust, which is essential for effective leadership.

There is tremendous strength in pursuing TRUTH, a strength that is often found in leaders. If not fully aligned with this strength, you will not be subject to the TRUTH that it reveals. As the late Stephen Covey, author of "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People," stated, "Trust is the highest form of human motivation. It brings out the very best in people."

Business is one of the key places in which TRUTH must exist. Essential decisions are made on things such as supply, demand, costs, and production that will result in success or failure.? The business world has employed many different methods of determining these factors, but still struggles with finding reliable answers. Consultants and coaches promise to solve business and personal problems through various techniques and exercises and have success, but they cannot. The OneTRUTH Leadership is a process coming out of the work I have done that helps to predict outcomes based upon TRUTH.

OneTRUTH Leadership offers a new approach that takes a somewhat different path to explore all the possibilities of an organization; to help you see things others do not see, feel things others do not feel, and believe things others do not believe possible. To persevere when others want to quit and give up. The role in this approach is to help you think, speak, and act in ways that make the greatest difference in an organization, a particular field, and the world itself. It goes beyond asking WHY to ask the more difficult and fundamental question of WHY NOT? It eliminates doubt through knowledge that comes from knowing the TRUTH.

“A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.” ―?Mark Twain

OneTRUTH Leadership is based upon Transformational Leadership, a leadership style?that can inspire positive changes in those who follow it. Transformational leaders are generally energetic, enthusiastic, and passionate. Not only are these leaders concerned and involved in the process, but they are also focused on helping every member of the group succeed. Transformational leaders take control of situations by conveying a clear vision of the group's goals. These leaders have a marked passion for the work and an ability to make the rest of the group feel recharged and energized.

Transformational Leadership was originally termed by authors Bass and Riggio in 1985 to describe the level of influence that a leader could exert on their followers. Leaders have followers because there are specific qualities in the leader that create trust, such as honesty. When those qualities are found at high levels, then there is a direct association with the levels of loyalty that followers have for their leader. These leaders focus on helping members of the group support one another and provide them with the guidance and inspiration they need to work hard, perform well, and stay loyal to the group. The primary goals of transformational leadership are to inspire growth, promote loyalty, and instill confidence in group members.

?The OneTRUTH Leadership process is based upon finding the One TRUTH. ?It goes beyond just solving problems to including Transformational Leadership principles and anticipating what the future might look like based upon discerning TRUTH and identifying what moves or decisions are best to make. Looking into the future, it is estimated that some 85% of decisions will be based upon fear and not reality.? By basing this process on TRUTH we are able to help identify what is coming and determine what you can do about it.

?Finding OneTRUTH Leadership starts with a simple question. If you were to change one thing in your life or your business, what would it be? We deal with so many challenges and problems that impact our daily lives and our businesses, it might be difficult to choose just one, but this answer is key to the process. Zeroing in on an answer helps you to better understand your desired future and begins a process that leads to it.

?Here are some of the top answers identified by business consultants:

o?? Hiring – finding reliable and honest employees that will add to the value of the company.

o?? Trust – establishing trust among customers, stakeholders, employees, and partners.

o?? Reputation – achieving a reputation for truthfulness, credibility, and service.

o?? Communication – being better at understanding what people say and mean.

o?? Responsibility – doing what you say you will do and when you say it will be done.

o?? Growth – understanding and executing the steps necessary to increase business while maintaining quality and service.

There are many others that could be considered.? All of them, however, have one key component in common.? They all depend on TRUTH.

This TRUTH establishes trust, enhances credibility, and leads to better decisions. TRUTH establishes clear paths for making decisions and growing, understanding the needs, and learning from mistakes. Embracing TRUTH in business practices not only fosters a positive company culture but also contributes to stability.

TRUTH is the very foundation of our society. Without TRUTH, we have no trust. Without trust, we cannot make decisions. Without the ability to make decisions, all society stops functioning.

TRUTH is essential in business, government, relationships, science, and with our institutions. It allows us to function with understanding and confidence.

The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie, deliberate, contrived and dishonest, but the myth, persistent, persuasive and unrealistic.

John F. Kennedy

Perhaps this sounds a bit dramatic but TRUTH, based in common sense and a universal understanding, is a final protection for our way of life, our wellbeing, and our very survival. If this is allowed to be overlooked and replaced with its alternative, all semblance of order and justice is lost.

Finding TRUTH matters… developing OneTRUTH Leadership is a way to find TRUTH!

Beyond a doubt truth bears the same relation to falsehood as light to darkness.

Leonardo da Vinci

Perhaps one of the greatest assets of a great leader is the ability to ask good questions and to listen carefully to the answers.?Spending time to get to know and truly understand individuals is a foundation for great leadership. Great questions and active listening to answers provides an understanding of all the factors involved in almost any situation. This is the foundation of OneTRUTH Leadership. I will share much more on the subject later but for now I want to offer a few questions that might be asked of potential leaders to determine their hearts and ability to seek TRUTH:

• What do you consider to be successful leadership traits?? Self-assessment and understanding tells you much about the character of a person. Do they recognize qualities within themselves? Do they recognize their inner strengths?
• How are you developing your skills and talents??Leadership requires that continued quest for knowledge. No one individual can exist without a continuing thirst to improve. Knowledge is power.
• What tasks make you come alive??This question begins to get at passions. Leaders commit time and energy to the things they believe in the most.
• Can you share how you dealt with an unexpected setback??Every leader will experience setbacks and hardships.?Problem solving, adapting, using resources, and finding new ways are all qualities of a great leader.
• How are you coming up with new ideas? Creativity in leadership is not a solitary pursuit.?Ideas come from listening to others, incorporating the input of many, finding new and different ways of looking at things, and going where others have not.
• People are going to disagree with you. How do you deal with these people??This question goes to the heart of conflict but, more importantly, addresses how someone gets along with others.
• What risks have you taken? Are you willing to take new ones??Risks help us to stretch and find new paths.?They may also show a certain recklessness or lack of restraint or the ability to weigh options.?Leaders take risks, period. It is the understanding of risks and rewards that separate leaders.
• How would you encourage your direct reports to continue growing? This question is based upon both the recognition of potential and the ability to help develop these individuals to reach their highest level.

I am sure that there are many more questions that can be asked but these begin to get to the heart of a leader’s belief in TRUTH and what they are willing to do to find it. Success today comes from always seeking the TRUTH, no matter what the cost might be. TRUTH may be the most important trait of a great leader.

You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you.

C. S. Lewis

As a leader, what you do with the power of your words – whether you choose to speak TRUTH or deception – can determine whether your organization thrives or fails. Truthful words, a close grasp on reality and the willingness to follow through with your actions are necessary tools for running and leading an organization.

More will be provided later to help you better predict the future through OneTRUTH Leadership and Finding TRUTH, and help you to improve your business decisions by 100X based upon identifying the TRUTH in any specific matter and acting upon it.

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