Truth-Tellers, Part 1: Who is Your Robin Hood of Honesty?

Today’s blog is short on words, long on potential outcomes. These questions parallel my recent, 3-part, Vlog, Truth Tellers:

Let’s start with two questions:

  1. Who in your personal life provides you brutally honest feedback?
  2. Who in your professional life provides you brutally honest feedback?

Moving on:

  1. What did you learn from these “Robin Hoods of Honesty” … these people who had the courage to sling arrows of truth your way?
  2. How did you benefit from—and act upon—the honesty you received?

Lastly, even though the truth can be painful, an absence of truth guarantees failure. So:

  1. How do you plan on encouraging your existing “Robin Hoods of Honesty” to continue providing you more tough love feedback?
  2. What steps are you taking to develop a more diverse population of those “Robin Hoods of Honesty” who can provide you valuable perspective? For example:
    • Different age groups,
    • Different cultural groups,
    • Different linguistic groups,
    • Differing levels of experience,
    • Even feedback from … your most vocal adversary?

My mentor, and Disney University founder Van France, was the definition of a “Robin Hood of Honesty,” and he slung truth arrows in every direction … even at himself. During his Disney career, Van helped every Disney employee, (including Walt Disney) improve via his tough-love truth telling approach.

In closing:

  • Cowardly leaders surround themselves with robotic “yes people.”
  • Confident, emotionally intelligent leaders surround themselves with “Robin Hoods of Honesty.”

Which are you?