Truth Over Comfort

Lead With Intention This Week

July 9, 2025

Truth Over Comfort: Why Real Leaders Say the Thing

There’s no shortage of leadership advice out there; books, podcasts, frameworks, acronyms. But there’s one skill that rarely makes the highlight reel… and yet, it changes everything:

The willingness to speak the truth, even when it’s uncomfortable.

Leadership isn’t a popularity contest. It’s a responsibility.
And one of the most powerful ways we grow, individually and as a team, is by choosing truth over comfort.

That means we don’t tiptoe around dysfunction.
We don’t avoid the tough conversations hoping things “work themselves out.”
We lean in. We speak up.

But not to call each other out.
We speak up to call each other up.

Truth Builds Trust

The best teams aren’t made of people who agree on everything.
They’re made of people who can disagree without disconnecting.
People who can challenge each other and still move forward together.
That kind of trust doesn’t happen by accident.

Let’s look at the Trust Equation:

If you want trust to grow, here’s what you build:

• Credibility: Say what needs to be said with clarity and integrity.

• Reliability: Do what you said you would do.

• Intimacy: Create safety…emotional, relational, and psychological. ***The word intimacy trips people up, so think of it as a sense of connectedness.

• Low Self-Orientation: Put the team above your ego.

Trust isn’t about being liked.
It’s about being dependable.
It’s about knowing someone will speak truth for you, not at you.

The Challenge This Week

Think about your team, your leadership, your culture:

• Where are we avoiding the truth to protect comfort?

• What needs to be said, not to criticize, but to clarify?

• Are we leading with ego or with care?

The teams that grow the fastest are the ones brave enough to say what others won’t.

So here’s your challenge:
Say the thing.
Do the hard thing.
And lead in a way that builds trust strong enough to weather anything.

You in?

🎧 Episode 171: Wealthy, Well-Known & Wildly Intentional with AJ Vaden (Part 2) is live!

In this soul-stirring episode, AJ shares the truth behind rebuilding from rock bottom—how faith, identity, and obedience shaped her comeback story.

One line says it all:
"You are most powerfully positioned to serve the person you once were."

Don’t miss this powerful conclusion to a conversation that goes way beyond business.

👉 Listen now on the Evoke Greatness Podcast
🎁 Grab the book: wealthyandwellknown.com

Click the link below to listen to the full episode of Evoke Greatness. ⬇️

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