BE BIGGER #1: Say the True Thing First

I stopped worrying about being nice.

Not kind — nice.

Nice is the thing that makes you soften the question, hedge the recommendation, and over-explain the obvious so no one feels uncomfortable. Nice is how progress dies slowly in meetings while everyone pretends alignment exists.

Here’s what I changed:

I stopped sugarcoating questions.

I stopped cushioning answers.

I stopped trying to be friends with everyone in the room.

Because here’s the truth people don’t love hearing:

They are not paying you to be their friend.

They are paying you to be direct and tell them what to do.

So, I started saying the true thing first.

Not eventually.

Not after warming the room up.

Not after ten minutes of context to protect feelings.

First.

And the shift was immediate.

The tone on the calls changed.

Decision-makers started driving instead of circling.

Internal teams stopped waiting for permission.

External teams stopped testing boundaries.

Things moved.

Not because I was louder.

Not because I was aggressive.

But because I removed the performance layer and got to the point.

Here’s what surprised me most:

People didn’t shut down.

They relaxed.

Because clarity is relieving.

Because someone finally took responsibility for direction.

Because pretending confusion is collaboration is exhausting.

Being “nice” had been slowing everything down.

Being clear sped everything up.

And yes — not everyone liked it.

But the people who mattered?

The ones responsible for outcomes, timelines, and results?

They leaned in.

This is what BE BIGGER looks like for me:

• Asking the uncomfortable question early

• Giving the answer without softening it

• Trusting that adults can handle directness

• Letting clarity do the heavy lifting

If you’re worried this makes you unlikeable, here’s the trade:

You might lose a few people who wanted comfort.

You’ll gain momentum, trust, and progress with people who want results.

And that’s the point.

Say the true thing first.

Everything else is just noise.