To be a successful advisor, you need to be comfortable with hard truths.
You need to be able to share hard truths with your clients about their business—even if it’s hard to say.
You need to be prepared to hear hard truths about your own shortcomings—even if you deep down already know.
You need to acknowledge hard truths about a lack of results in your engagements—even if it’s not entirely your fault.
The hard truths are a reality of all businesses. They may be humbling at times, but they make you better when you embrace them.
Jim Collins refers to this general idea as “confronting the brutal facts” in his book, Good to Great.
Hard truths are a gift if you embrace them.