Recently watching the billionaire Marcus Lemonis in his reality show “The Profit,” about saving small businesses, I was reminded of a commonality in high level leaders. In the show, Marcus has tough conversations with the entrepreneurs, sometimes bringing their weaknesses to light. To some this trait is natural; as my father has told me, “I couldn’t imagine not discussing the elephant in the room.” To others like me, discussing difficult matters can be a bit uncomfortable, but observing high-level leaders has brought me to this conclusion: you will only rise to the level of leadership of which you are willing to have difficult conversations. (more…)