Dear ,

Let’s talk about something a little personal for me that was very insightful.

You know that feeling when a “cheap” or less expensive solution tells you exactly what you want to hear? I got a Christmas gift, from my daughter, that made me think about this. I requested a fancy new HUME BodyPod scale that measures everything from visceral fat to metabolic age. I already had a cheap on from Amazon, but I was ready for an upgrade.

And guess what? When I got it to connect for the first time, I didn’t like what the numbers told me.  This scale’s version of truth wasn’t as comforting as my old, cheaper Amazon scale, which gave me a lower number for my metabolic age and other key metrics.

I chalked it up to holiday eating and a faulty Bluetooth connection. I was doing really well on my old scale. This one must be defective.

Take a look. See the Hume scale on the right is fancier than the basic one on the left.

It’s a perfect analogy for leadership and growth. Sometimes the easier story is the one that just feels better. It’s that comfortable narrative that tells us we are doing the best we can (are we really?) and that the problem isn’t us, it’s something or someone else. 

But real transformation, real leadership, and real growth come from facing the more accurate numbers, even when they say we’ve got a bit more work to do.

I’ve worked with coaches that told me how great and amazing I was, and I’ve worked with coaches that told me the truths that were hard to hear. Every time, I chose the hard, honest coach. If I’m going to pay top dollar, I don’t want to be coddled, I want real growth and results.

Why was it so hard for me to want the same thing from my scale? The cheap one told me what I wanted to hear. The expensive one told me what I needed to hear. Yes, I’ve worked hard, but I’m not there yet. There’s more work to do. 

So here’s the takeaway: sometimes you have a “scale” in your life that’s telling you a comforting lie. Maybe it’s about our leadership effectiveness, our communication style, or our personal habits. The real growth begins when we choose to trust the more honest feedback, even if it’s a bit tougher to hear.

Feedback, when honest, helps us grow into the best version of ourselves. Brené Brown said it best, “Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind.” Think about this, not only for yourself, but for the people trusting you to tell them the truth, even when it’s unpleasant.

Let’s step into 2026 ready to embrace the truths that challenge us and lead us to genuine growth. After all, believing a comforting lie might feel good for a moment, but embracing the truth is what really develops us into the best version of ourselves.

To your leadership and growth,