More Truth
Truth - corporate, government, political, and individual among other things - is becoming a rare commodity. Truth, the truth, one’s truth, and “true” can be slippery concepts. But there is the “Truth.” Whether we like it or accept it as our truth, there are historical Truths that – for most people – are undisputed.
Even when one is not certain of the facts, they can be truthful about that lack of knowledge. An example of the absence of truth can be seen in the U.S. federal government’s response to Covid. For example, the guidance in early 2020 (during the Trump presidency) that civilians did not need to use N95/KN95 masks was not true. The November 2021 (during the Biden presidency) statement by federal officials that they were not certain if the Omicron variant would reach our shores was also equally not true.
I believe the first non-truth was based upon the government’s desire to manage the availability of N95/KN95 masks, and the second non-truth was based upon the lack of knowledge of the Omicron variant and the impact upon citizens if their government “didn’t know” a particular answer. In both scenarios the truth was obvious. Of course, civilians needed the masks (proven by the fact that the government later promoted their use); and of course, Omicron was coming to the U.S. given the levels of global travel (later proven by the Omicron wave we experienced). These two examples of non-truths – in my opinion – are based in the perceptions of political leaders relating to how the population would respond if the all-powerful government admitted to a lack of a complete understanding of Covid19.
Although difficult, the reverse is the better approach: more truth and the acceptance of what is true is a beginning step to healing this hurting world.
More Duality
A wise person once told me: “two things can be true at the same time” and that is somewhat like duality. Duality just might be a small antidote to the notion of cancel culture and the purity tests that are required in the current civic and political discourse. We have seen many great public figures fall from grace, and we are seemingly forced with choosing two opposite aspects of their lives: they did a current terrible thing and prior to that they amassed an astonishing body of professional work in their field. Yet we are confronted with condemning the person and their body of work with no middle ground. But with duality we can accept that the person committed a wrong, and prior to that they created a body of work that contributed to their profession or industry. They can both be true, and we won't have to force ourselves or others to decide between one (the fall) or the other (the pre-fall successes). It is this type of higher-level consciousness and being that will help us navigate the difficult spaces of life.
More Listening
What would the world look like if there were more deep, intentional listening? Not just hearing but listening. Not hearing for the mere sake of responding to what was said but listening to understand what is being said. Our media news channels are flooded with shows where two or more analysts or commentators are “talking” about some topic with opposing views. I assume it is good for the ratings, but it does nothing to develop a solution for the problem being presented. And maybe that is the intended outcome. If we ever want to solve problems from personal relations to workplace teams to broader national or global dilemmas it will take more deep, intentional listening. Listening that involves being present and mindful and focused on the person who is speaking. Listening that requires clearing our mind of clutter, clearing our mind of the responses we are formulating, and clearing our mind of the pre-conceived positions we held prior to entering the dialogue. It also means letting go of the pre-conceived notions of the person or persons we are listening to. With deep, intentional listening we allow ourselves to truly hear, see, and feel the person in dialogue with us.
More Thinking
Deliberative, reflective, and critical thought – what a concept! Our thoughts lead to actions and those actions yield results. Imagine what better outcomes and results we could achieve if we adopted a concept of “iceberg” thinking. Visually, the tip of the iceberg would be our actions, and the massive remainder of the iceberg would be our deliberative thoughts that leads to those actions.
Of course, the concept of more thinking does not apply across the board. By no means am I suggesting you should engage in “iceberg” thinking when you are in a grocery store deciding between strip steak and rib-eye steak (because you know there’s only one choice). But in things that matter or are meaningful - career decisions, personal relations, business decisions, the work of teams, and problems of society - consider just thinking a little more before you act.
More Does Not Equal Less
The reality is more truth, duality, listening, and thinking, does not result in the lessening of anything else. I am certain some of the “anything else” that comes to mind are thoughts of power, status, respect, being taken advantage of, or similar concepts. On the contrary, the four “mores” that I have spoken of will yield more courageous leadership and personal power. Power can be a loaded word, but in and of itself it is meaningless. Standing alone the word is without power. It matters only when it is in the hands of someone or a group, and how it is used. In the hands of the right person and right group, and used the right way, tremendous things can be accomplished. And most importantly power in your own hands will create greater agency, greater awareness, greater decision making, and better outcomes in your own life.
Reflections Questions:
What truth(s) must you confront in your life that are inhibiting your personal growth?
In what scenarios in your life might you benefit from viewing the situation through a duality lens?
Where might you deploy deep intentional listening in your life?
Where might you deploy deliberative, reflective, and critical thinking in your life?