Facing Hard Truths: How Americans Can Get Real, Pull Together, and Turn Our Country Around
Successful businessman, activist, philanthropist, and 2026 candidate for governor of California Stephen J. Cloobeck applies an unflinching problem-solver’s eye to America’s most pervasive challenges.
Cloobeck built his reputation transforming dysfunctional companies on the brink of ruin into performance powerhouses. In Facing Hard Truths, he focuses this proven business acumen on our most pressing concerns like immigration, crime, the cost of living, and the coarsening of political discourse. He offers sometimes tough—but always sincere—lessons learned over a lifetime of public and private sector experience.
From his first job bussing tables in a small California restaurant, to his time operating a global hospitality juggernaut, to his years helming federal public-private partnerships, state agencies, and local organizations, Cloobeck’s journey propelled him from busboy to boardroom. In this book, he relies on the action-oriented principles that drove his personal success to outline a plan that will take California, and America, from flailing back to flourishing.
With a refusal to pander and a no-nonsense assessment of today’s most salient issues, Cloobeck argues our country’s ability to effectively navigate the future depends on a reaffirmed commitment to:
- Integrity
- Collaboration
- Respect for rules and norms
- Economic inclusivity
- A return to competence
- Putting others first
- Fostering of social trust
In Facing Hard Truths, Cloobeck’s engaging storytelling and straight-shooting proposals leave readers feeling heard, respected, and above all, eager to set aside political differences and get back to what really matters: creating an America that is more affordable, liveable, and opportunity-rich for all.
With a refusal to pander and a no-nonsense assessment of today’s most salient issues, Cloobeck argues our country’s ability to effectively navigate the future depends on a reaffirmed commitment to:
- Integrity
- Collaboration
- Respect for rules and norms
- Economic inclusivity
- A return to competence
- Putting others first
- Fostering of social trust
In Facing Hard Truths, Cloobeck’s engaging storytelling and straight-shooting proposals leave readers feeling heard, respected, and above all, eager to set aside political differences and get back to what really matters: creating an America that is more affordable, liveable, and opportunity-rich for all.
Facing Hard Truths - Adapted Excerpt
During my years in business, I came up with three principles that get to the essence of strong, competent leadership—the three Rs:
First, leaders must show respect for the people who depend on them and pay their salaries. In the public sector, that means the general public, specifically voters and taxpayers. Political leaders must approach what they do with the constant recognition that they work for the citizenry, not the other way around. They must commit to having the public’s back, making sure government serves the common good without unduly encumbering individual citizens.
Leaders who know how to execute also show a strong sense of responsibility. Leaders have a duty to taxpayers, as fiduciary stewards of our hard-earned dollars. Elected leaders must ensure they’re spending funds wisely and not wasting them. They must know where the money is going, and why—that’s their job. Elected leaders should be held responsible for delivering greater or equal value for each taxpayer dollar they’re handed. Why should this be any different from the responsibility that CEOs have to shareholders?
Leaders who display the first two R’s are in a better position to also emphasize the third: cultivation of a strong results orientation. From an economic standpoint, a state like California is very much like a business: It must grow its economy, just as a business needs to grow its revenues and profits to be successful.
It might seem that I’m demanding a lot of our elected leaders. Can they really deliver all this? Abso-friggin’-lutely.
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Checking In: Hospitality-Driven Thinking, Business, and You
Revist Stephen’s 2018 work Checking In: Hospitality-Driven Thinking, Business, and You a leadership guide that will change how you approach people, problems, and possibilities.
