36. The Law of Realism
Leaders deal with the world as it is, not as they wish it would be.
Your ability and your willingness to be completely realistic in your life and work are among the most important qualities of leadership. The measure of how realistic you really are is demonstrated by your willingness to deal straightforwardly with the truth of your life and business, whatever it may be.
Peter Drucker refers to this quality of realism in a leader as “intellectual honesty.” Jack Welch, president of General Electric, calls it the “Reality Principle.” He approaches every problem or difficulty with the question, What’s the reality?
Concentrate on getting the facts. Facts don’t lie. The more facts you gather, the better will be the picture ...
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