Pursuing TRUTH Today

The Case for TRUTH:?

TRUTH is being attacked as never before, and it will only get worse as we enter the divides of the Presidential Election season. We used to believe in things as a society, as part of our culture and who we were. All this has changed with an erosion of values, the acceptance of beliefs or ideals held by a few but thrust upon the many.

A recent Pew Research Center study found that many Americans believe there is a crisis in facts and TRUTH, with half of U.S. adults saying made-up news and information is a very big problem.?About two-thirds say it causes a great deal of confusion about the basic facts of current issues and events . Fully 85% of adults say this is at least?a moderately big problem , including 42% saying it is a very big problem. By contrast, most adults (69%) say it is?not?hard to determine the truth when talking with people they know, while just three-in-ten (30%) struggle with truth when talking with these individuals.

This is the foundation for my work through Penn Price Management Group, what is behind my continuing search for TRUTHS in the world today, and the focus of my LinkedIn newsletter.?I have been pursuing TRUTH through various words and concepts that I have investigated and applied to things happening around and among us.

Can we change the current trends and move to a society based on TRUTH...I think so! It will be difficult, but I believe that it is possible to come together, heal our divisions, and solve problems.

Everything we rely on, every bit of information, all scientific principles, our ability to make correct decisions, and our belief in God all depend upon TRUTH. The search for TRUTH can lead to significant improvements in our lives by enabling informed decisions, fostering innovation, and creating a more just society.?Or the pursuit of TRUTH might just help you to solve problems and meet specific needs by focusing on the TRUTH behind things.

Vision Position:?

Let us start with this. In any situation, for any decision to be made, and in every circumstance, there is only one TRUTH. It is either true or it is not. This is my OneTRUTH Leadership vision –?Discovering TRUTH – Improving Lives!?

Although a bold statement to base my work on, it is an essential starting point because we do not exist as a society without TRUTH; the pursuit of truth is indeed a fundamental aspect of human society and its progress. It’s a bold and necessary quest that underpins our scientific endeavors, our legal systems, and our daily decision-making.?

OneTRUTH Leadership is designed to equip leaders with the information and tools to discern TRUTH for themselves, and to use this TRUTH to make better decisions. It will also help to determine future trends and directions based upon a better understanding of the TRUTH of the world and what is really happening.?

OneTRUTH Leadership takes a transformational leadership approach to explore all the possibilities of an organization and of leadership; to help these leaders 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.

Our method is to ask questions, the right questions that lead to TRUTH, and expose lies. My role is to help you think, speak, and act in ways that make the greatest difference in your organization, your field, and the world. I want to help you to look beyond asking WHY to ask the more difficult and fundamental question of WHY NOT??

To better understand the relationship between TRUTH and Leadership, lets “drill down” a little on the concept and strategy of?leadership. There are a considerable number of specific definitions for?leadership,?but I have no intention to touch on all of them at this point. The TRUTH is that where leadership has been, and where it is going is vastly different. It is evolving quickly with change and new approaches to managing people and organizations. We must come to the new realization that companies and organizations fail,?individuals don’t!?Leadership is involved in alignment within companies and organizations but must today be more focused on people.?

It has been determined that leaders do not yet have nearly 50% of the skills and abilities that they need today. The other 50% are skills they may have now (or have always needed), but they are now required at much higher levels. We need new approaches and ideas now and moving into the future.?

Dr. David Rock, coiner of the term “?NeuroLeadership” has identified five key traits of leadership needed:?

1. It must be?adaptive?– steering people through unknown and changing times,?

2. It must have an emphasis on?Emotional Intelligence (EI)?– understanding and negotiating complex interpersonal relationships,?

3. It must be more?Purpose Driven?– aligning organizational goals with a broader sense of purpose and social impact,?

4. It must have the ability to?Remotely Manage?– fostering individual and teamwork across diverse locations, and?

5. Leaders must have technical and data literacy skills – making informed decisions within a faster paced and more informed world.?

Thought Leadership and Defining Moments

Through a strategy called?Thought Leadership,?I have challenged myself to incorporate these traits and others as I look into the future. One key to this, I believe, is to recognize?Defining Moments?in our lives and organizations. They occur when you or your organization are impacted in ways that change you, strengthens you, or helps you to accomplish more. They challenge your beliefs, force you to ask why, and to think differently.

Attuned to Dr. Rock's traits,?Defining Moments?relate to:?

1. Being resilient – “if you don’t define a defining moment, it will define you,”?

2. Acknowledging fear – “What we fear the most is usually what we need to do most,”?

3. Quickly recalculating and calibrating – “take an honest assessment of the facts and evidence and move forward,” and?

4. Creating a solution-based Action Plan!?

Examples of Defining Moments

Throughout history there have been several Defining Moments that have shown both tremendous leadership and the sad failures of leaders to lead. Most have had severe consequences and produce great adversity in their wake. One clear example is the global pandemic that killed millions and disrupted lives and livelihoods around the world. Others include human forces linked with powerful hurricanes or raging wildfires. War and global conflicts, genocide, the torture and killing of innocent people are also on the list.

Good and Evil

How about the lack of TRUTH and the outright lies being told by both the media and politicians, and countless individuals coping with other struggles big and small, personal, and societal. I believe, and it is difficult to doubt, that evil exists in the world and is behind this current defining moment. These examples show that evil is real and, in the world, and that it is a major factor in determining any future.?

You may not believe in evil, but you do understand adversity and the other factors I mention and understand that it is how we react to both the joys and adversity of life that makes all the difference, that identify them as defining moments.

The Strategy…?

OneTRUTH Leadership?is a strategy for getting people where they want to go. It is a strategy for dealing with evil. It is a strategy for agreement and the alignment of people. Or as Stephen Covey put it, “Leadership is communicating to another their worth and potential so clearly, they are inspired to see it themself.” A strong strategy is an act of leadership.?

This requires unique talents and abilities. First, you need to tell people what you want them to do, provide them with instructions they can follow and make it actionable. Second, you need to lay out the compelling need to take this action, why it is a good idea, and the consequences if you do not act. Third, it must inspire and motivate people with emotion. Love and fear are the two most powerful (some may say only) emotions. How can you employ them? And finally, you must repeat the main messages over, and over, and over. Few stick the first time.?

TRUTH is the enemy of evil. Evil hates TRUTH and will do everything possible to defeat it. I choose to think about “good things, positive things, godly things.” Yes, I get frustrated and upset with my lack of patience, with the attitude of others and myself, and the acceptance of evil without any efforts to overcome it. There are so many good and positive things, true blessings and TRUTHS I can count upon that I can overcome evil with love.?

Conclusion?

OneTRUTH Leadership?is a strategy to help individuals and organizations to seek TRUTH, understand its implications, and apply them to help improve lives. How can we help you?