Good advice may sound harsh but is useful for action

I’d be delighted if someone tells me the truth—what reason would I have to complain?

When someone is willing to speak honestly to you, it simply means you’ve conducted yourself with integrity and earned their genuine trust. Conversely, if others are reluctant to tell you the truth, it means they still harbor reservations about you—indicating your personal cultivation isn’t quite there yet.

Not every leader has the ability to inspire honesty from those around them. If you haven’t demonstrated the character and conduct that inspire absolute trust, people won’t tell you the truth. And if you never hear the truth, well, as the old joke goes, you’re the captain who’s the last to know the ship is sinking.