#639 candor

I read a haunting eulogy for Philip Seymour Hoffman written by the brilliant Aaron Sorkin.  Hoffman died a few weeks ago, but Sorkin's words have stuck with me.

"Hoffman...did not die from an overdose of heroin -- he died from heroin.  We should stop implying that if he had just taken the proper amount, everything would have been fine.  He didn't die because he was partying too hard or because he was depressed.  He died because he was an addict on a day of the week with a y in it."

I was struck by the candor and matter-of-factness that Sorkin used to remember the death of his friend, while simultaneously admiring his manner of doing so.  There can be something refreshing about hearing the truth, even in difficult circumstances.

In tough times, we search for a reason to explain what has happened.  It is hard to accept that there is no answer that makes sense or makes things "better".  But sometimes, you can honor a person, a group of employees or a relationship by speaking of reality without the sugar coating.  Let the plain truth do some of the talking, even when the news is grim.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com

@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

Source:  Time Magazine, February 17, 2014.