Chanakya Strategy Coach
Truth-Telling
Day 21
The Loyal Opposition
Chanakya's advice for a king who wants accurate information: reward the person who brings you bad news, and don't reward the people who only tell you what you want to hear. Most leaders do the opposite, and end up surrounded by flattery — increasingly blind to what's really happening. Making it genuinely safe for people to disagree with you takes real effort. It never happens on its own.
Reflection
Do the people around you tell you the truth about your work? What have you done, specifically, to make that safe or unsafe?
Today's Practice
Ask one trusted person today for genuine critical feedback on your most important current project. Listen without defending.
Arthashastra 1.15