I am no stranger to truth telling. I’ve been practicing telling truth to power since I was a child. I use these skills in my work as a coach, therapist, parent and friend. The problem that I have found with being a truth teller is that sometimes people do not want to hear, accept, and acknowledge the truth. Sometimes, as truth tellers we pay the price for our truth, not because we are wrong but because other people are not ready. Sometimes we are rebuffed for telling the truth, even though we are trying to act with integrity, courage and clarity.
This week, we saw what often happens to truth tellers as Capt. Brett Crozier was removed from his post for telling the truth. The problem was not that he was telling untruths; it was that he was telling the truth which was inconvenient. As the events unfolded, it did not matter to the Chain of Command that Capt. Crozier was doing what he was supposed to be doing, what he had trained to do; be a leader. It did not matter that he chose a loss for himself in hopes of protecting those in his care. It did not matter that he told the truth because in the end, he was portrayed as being alarmist or mishandling things. We can label and spin many things, in fact, we do; it’s why we have spin doctors, public relations firms, advertisers, branders and a myriad of other things that make things more tenable. One thing you cannot do is create any narrative, explanation or story that portrays Capt. Crozier as being anything other than a leader, hero, truth teller and patriot.
While I lived in DC I had my own culmination of truth telling experiences. I have always been a truth teller and I will always be a truth teller. Truth telling is hard; it requires faith in yourself and your purpose, the courage to withstand the comments and actions of those not ready for the truth and the pursuit of peace in knowing you acted as a leader when others could not or would not.
Here’s my new prayer for truth tellers taken from the Serenity Prayer:
God grant me the wisdom to know and tell the truth;
The courage to withstand the doubters;
And the peace to know that I tried.
Capt. Brett Crozier, I salute you, and I know a couple of hundred million Americans salute you too. Thank you for your leadership, patriotism and truth telling!
Alexandra Phillips Burke 2020 – All Rights Reserved