Two Lies and a Truth

Recently, I opened up social media and the first story on my feed made me literally say out loud, “NO WAY!”  

It was that kind of post: intriguing, outrageous, and just believable enough to catch my attention. So, like many of us do, I clicked.

And, with my mind thinking, "this can't possibly be true!"... I decided to check Snopes.

And, you guessed it, it was a lie.

But here’s where it got interesting. 

The second post? Also unbelievable - dishonest, divisive, and misleading. Click bait.The third post? Same thing... LIES worded to suck someone into emotion and "thinking the worst" about something; intentionally written to stoke the emotional fires and rile someone up. 

Three posts in a row, all designed to spark big emotion, deepen division, and/or make the reader feel something strong or bad about a person or group of people.  Three lies meant to pull someone into stories that weren't true.

And it worked... for a second. I almost fell for it.

That’s the power of emotional manipulation and/or getting sucked in by someone else's big emotions.  It doesn’t always look obvious. But it feeds on reaction, not reflection.

As Self-Aware Leaders, this is where our practice begins.

We have to be wise consumers of information, both in the social media/news realm, but also in our work environments. Someone on our team can come to us with information about a concerning situation and it's easy to take it at face value, believe the worst in the person being talked about or the group who is making our tasks more difficult, or run with half-truths because we didn't gather proper information accurately enough.  As leaders, we need to pause and ask questions to ensure we don't make incorrect assumptions, stir a pot, or breed confusion. 

Check facts.Pull back and ask more questions.Be curious, not just accepting things at face value.

Pause before we share information forward.And refuse to let algorithms or assumptions do our thinking for us.

We know these things:The world is noisy.The stakes are high.And credibility matters more than ever.

When we pass along misinformation, even unintentionally, we don’t just spread falsehoods.We erode trust.We model reactivity instead of reflection.And we widen divides that desperately need healing.

Practicing discernment slows us down, yes, but it also regulates our emotions. It keeps us grounded in integrity and aligned with our purpose.

And when tensions rise or emotions run high, your ability to model that calm, measured presence and curiosity for your team is worth its weight in gold. It keeps conversations constructive, relationships intact, and progress possible.

That’s leadership.

That’s self-awareness in action.

So this week, I’m practicing a new rhythm:Pause. Ask. Breathe. Think. Resist knee-jerk responses.

Then decide what the next step needs to be.  

Because curiosity, truth, and a desire to stay connected to others is what moves us forward.

You matter!