CLIMATE CONTROL: How to know if your climate is harming you

Climates matter. But, for a long time, I didn’t think so. I lived the first 38 years of my life in the Northeast. Summers were hot. Fall meant crisp air. Winters were brutally cold. Spring came in like a lion and went out like a lamb. That was the only climate I knew. And then, I moved to South Florida. It was a massive climate change, and despite the humidity of the summer, I learned why so many people moved there. It was a fantastic climate for most of the year, and it did make a difference. 

In How the Mighty Fall, Jim Collins retells the story of a young executive who knew it was time to leave a successful company just before it all fell apart. How did he know it was time to leave? ‘They started ignoring the data. A climate of denial is a sure sign everything will go south soon.’ 

‘A climate of denial’ floored me. How many ways could you apply that idea? What areas of your life are you ‘denying the data’ and ignoring the obvious? Where are you refusing to address what is plainly obvious? In 12 Rules for Life, Dr. Jordan Peterson says, ‘Start to stop doing what you know to be wrong. Don’t waste time questioning how you know what you’re doing is wrong if you are certain it is.’ The problem with Dr. Peterson’s sentiment is we often deny what is obvious. Like the parents in, ‘There’s No Such Things As Dragons’, we ignore the data, feedback, or outcomes until they grow into a massive dragon that flies away with the house. Here are five signs you are creating a climate of denial and are headed for a brutal collision with truth. 

Hiding the truth: ‘Do NOT let them see that’ Oftentimes, we hide the truth in a sincere attempt to fix it. The problem is hiding anything makes it worse. Do not hide the truth. 

Discounting the truth: ‘It’s not as bad as it looks’ In my coaching career, I found the most successful coaches were optimist-crushing realists. They never discounted the truth in their favor. Embracing the truth as objectively as you can creates a steadiness that others can rely on. 

Excusing the truth: A sure sign you are excusing the truth is you offer reasons for it when it confronts you rather than asking questions. We all feel the urge to make excuses when the truth corners us. Don’t get furious; get curious.

Blame for the truth: One of the most enduring lessons I learned from my college basketball coach, was personal responsibility. When things did not go well, he got furious. He also owned all of it. I never once sensed he was blaming us. Was he mad at us for underperforming? Yes. Did he accept the blame for not preparing us and leading us well? Absolutely. And in that way, he led us very well. 

Dodging the truth: Dodging the truth is a last-ditch effort that characterizes an unwillingness to address the truth head-on. It can be best captured in the familiar quip, ‘Reorganizing the deck chairs of the Titanic.’ Dodging the truth is a frantic flurry of useless effort. 

Where in your life are you nurturing a climate of denial. Facing the truth head-on is hard. Crashing blindly into the truth is harder. Choose your hard.

Keep on, keepin’ on, friends.

Bite Down and Don’t Let Go is a collection of writings on relentlessly leading yourself and others well. Read about it more here. You can listen to the Bite Down and Don't Let Go podcast here! 

Dr. Chris Hobbs is an educational leader with more than two decades of experience. He’s earned a few degrees and won some awards. He’s happily married to his high school sweetheart, and they have three children. Life is messy and complicated most of the time. You can follow him on Twitter for inspirational thoughts and good laughs.