Despite what we learned in elementary school, distinguishing fact from opinion—and to a lesser degree perhaps, truth from fiction—is not easy. In our day-to-day lives, these distinctions are frequently blurred. Throughout the recent election cycle, we heard a lot about facts and opinions. While this topic certainly has a unique meaning in a political context, my intention here is to explore it through the lens of leadership—and hopefully offer up a perspective that is useful for team leaders.
Explanation:
Team leaders who present opinions (assessments) as facts (assertions), will struggle with engagement and culture: presenting an opinion as fact closes off debate, discourages collaboration, and creates a culture of distrust.
