That kid didn’t make a good choice
“That kid didn’t make a good choice.”
My niece was about 4 at the time. She and I were out shopping with my mom, and there was another young boy and his mother nearby. The boy was playing around, jumping on the display, not paying any attention to the possible destruction in his wake.
Suddenly, we hear a crash and he starts crying.
That’s when my very wise young niece observed, “that kid didn’t make a good choice.”
My mom and I exchanged knowing glances over her head. She spoke the truth, in a way that only young kids do.
Have you ever seen someone speak the truth like this?
Kids that age have a wonderful talent of sharing the truth, often loudly, to anyone who will listen. It may not be flattering, tell the complete story, or be the thing we notice most about the situation.
But they call it like they see it.
As adults, we learn to filter. To exercise discretion. To pick and choose what we say and why we say it.
Often, this helps us to survive, and even thrive, in the world.
And yet, this tendency can also get in our way. Cause trouble that we don’t intend. Get us into situations we’d rather avoid.
The tough conversation we need to have because we didn’t call out troublesome behavior in our direct report when it was still small.
The uncomfortable commitment we must sit through because we didn’t want to disappoint someone we love.
The humiliation we feel with a missed deadline because we didn’t raise the flag and reset expectations the moment we knew we weren’t going to be done in time.
While these kinds of situations plague all of us, as leaders we find that acknowledging the truth becomes even more essential.
Whether you’re leading yourself or others, here are three truths worth acknowledging:
The truths everyone knows
Often, common knowledge is known, but not acknowledged. By identifying it publicly, we ensure everyone is on the same page and has the same priorities.
Have you acknowledged that your “unlimited PTO” policy actually has some limits? That the goal line you’ve set for your team is especially ambitious? That you probably won’t be able to leave work the moment your last meeting is scheduled to finish?
The truths we want to avoid
We often avoid acknowledging truths when we feel like doing so will cause discomfort or pain. But often, failing to acknowledge them now causes us more discomfort or pain down the road.
Have you acknowledged that your business’s prospects aren’t as optimistic as they used to be? That you don’t enjoy spending time with your friend’s new partner? That you need to decide whether you can keep a chronic underperformer on your team?
The truths we can’t address
It’s easy to avoid acknowledging the truths we wish would go away, the problems we don’t know how to solve, or the decisions we don’t want to make. By speaking them aloud, we give ourselves (and our teams) space to consider what they mean and how we want to move forward.
Have you acknowledged that you don’t know whether the acquisition you’ve been working hard to secure will lead to layoffs or restructuring? That your loved one isn’t going to take care of themselves the way you’d like them to? That you don’t know how you’re going to deal with the new policy that might block a key deal you’re expected to close?
When we practice the habit of acknowledging the truth, whether it’s the known-but unspoken, the uncomfortable, or the seemingly unsolvable, we actually bring empowerment and agency to ourselves and to our teams. When we acknowledge the truth and look it right in the eye, we can move forward, on the same page, ready to focus on what we can actually do to move forward.
What truths do you need to acknowledge?
Will you send me a message to let me know? I’d love to hear from you.
October 23, 2025
About the author:
Christina Von Stroh is a leadership coach who helps her clients become wildly successful by applying iterative software development practices to achieve their dreams. Want to work with Christina to help you iterate towards the person you’re becoming?
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