Wisdom is choosing the purity of truth over popularity. The late, great Zig Ziglar certainly knew and lived by these words. It takes real courage and conviction to do so.

Choosing to search for the truth and having the courage to confront the hard realities will pay dividends to your career. You’ll find the road to success a little straighter, the challenges less overwhelming and fewer surprises along the way.

Reality can be defined as the truth – the real nature of something – the facts. A key element to success is discovering and then facing reality – the reality of your opportunities, the reality of your leadership, the reality of your relationships, culture… and more.

Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the Truth chapter of The Nature of Excellence.

  • “When your heart speaks, take good notes.” – Anonymous
  • “Truth has no special time of its own. Its hour is now – always.” – Albert Schweitzer
  • “There is nothing so powerful as truth – and often nothing so strange.” – Daniel Webster
  • “Tomorrow’s greatest leaders are those with the courage to face reality and help the people around them face reality.” – Ronald Heifetz

May we all seek the truth and speak the truth. The times might be changing but the truth is still in vogue.