The Emperor's New Clothes

Remember the story of the Emperor’s New Clothes?  It’s a great story – partially because the idea of some guy parading around naked is kind of funny, but that is not the point.  The best part comes when a child speaks up and honestly challenges what everyone else was trying desperately to pretend was normal.  And then what happened?  The emperor caught wind of the whispers among the crowd (probably not the only wind he was catching!), and then he did something all too familiar to those in the business world.  He doubled down on the farce and continued to parade around, not wanting to look foolish.  Not wanting to admit there was a problem, and certainly not wanting to admit that he was wrong. 

It’s an old story, but one that routinely plays out in the corporate world (hopefully with less nudity, though).  As a leader, when you hear truth you are faced with a choice – act on it, or double down.  It is not a weakness to change course, ask for help, or even to admit that you don’t have the answers.  (News flash – no one has all the answers!)  Let’s talk today about how we can help you find and address those blind spots!