“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!”
Ecclesiastes: 4:9-10
Brutal Facts In his book, “Good to Great” Jim Collins proposes the concept of brutal facts. This is a call for leaders to get brutally honest about the current reality of their organization. When a key performance indicator has fallen behind, it shouldn’t be delivered with optimism or clarifiers—it should be stated plainly. Team members may begin to squirm in their seats because they are forced to admit things like “this project is 40% complete with only one week left” or “employees are not responding well under his management.” Leaders who address these brutal facts are far more likely to address the actual problem because they have removed the temptation for denial or false optimism. If a project is wasting time and not yielding results—it’s better to call that out early rather than wait until it is obvious to everyone. Not Just for Business As you may have guessed, being brutally honest is not just a concept for business. As Christian men, it is essential that we share the brutal facts with other trustworthy men. We need more than the typical “How’s it going?” And despite them being genuine; our good intentions will not sustain a life of faithfulness on their own. We need men who are lovingly curious about how we are fulfilling our roles as a biblical man.
How did you sacrificially love your wife this week?
Are you being faithful to give and avoid unwise investments?
Has anything impure entered your mind or eyes this past week?
How are you handling your emotions and attitude at work?
Without the routine inspection by other Christian men, we are left to ourselves to live out the standards within our life plans. Get Real for Real Change When was the last time a brother asked you for the brutal facts? When was the last time that you actually shared them? Both of these things must be true for our discipleship to bring real change – but that’s what we are after! Think of another MD5 man with whom you can be honest and have him ask for the brutal facts on a regular basis. Then you do the same for him in return!
Caleb Crawley MD5 Facilitator