Behind the Curtain: When Words and Actions Don’t Align

Behind the Curtain: When Words and Actions Don’t Align

In “The Wizard of Oz” there’s a moment that hits like a freight train: Dorothy and her ragtag crew finally confront the “great and powerful” Wizard, only to discover he’s not what he seems. Behind the curtain isn’t a towering, magical figure—it’s just a guy, sweating bullets, pulling levers, and faking it with smoke and mirrors. His big, booming words promised one thing, but the reality behind the curtain told a different story. Sound familiar? It’s a perfect analogy for what happens when someone’s words and actions don’t line up.

We’ve all seen it—a leader who preaches “integrity” but cuts corners, a friend who swears they’ve got your back but vanishes when it counts, or a coach selling the “good culture” of their program to student-athletes and families when in reality their culture is toxic. It’s the curtain trick: a polished front of bold claims and shiny promises, hiding a weaker, messier truth. And just like in Oz, once you see behind that curtain, you can’t unsee it. The illusion shatters, and what’s left is the raw, unfiltered reality.

The Wizard’s Game in Real Life

The Wizard got away with his act for a while because people “wanted” to believe the hype. His voice was loud, his image was grand, and the Emerald City bought the story—until they didn’t. In life, it’s the same deal. People might nod along to the big talk at first, swept up by charisma or hope. But actions? They don’t lie. When the curtain gets pulled—when the leader who preached “teamwork” starts playing favorites, or the “visionary” stalls out with zero results—the jig is up. Trust erodes faster than a Kansas twister can lift a house.

Take a workplace example. A boss stands up at the all-hands meeting, chest puffed, promising a “culture of accountability.” Everyone claps, inspired. Then a month later, the same boss lets a toxic slacker coast by while the rest of the team drowns in extra work. The curtain’s down. That “culture” was just hot air, and now the team knows it. Respect’s gone, morale’s in the gutter, and good luck getting anyone to buy in next time.

No Fairy-Tale Ending

Here’s where the analogy gets real: in “The Wizard of Oz”, the guy behind the curtain gets a soft landing. He hands out a heart, a brain, some courage, and floats off in a balloon—redeemed, sort of. Real life isn’t so forgiving. When the disconnect between words and actions gets exposed, there’s no Hollywood script to tie it up neatly. People don’t just shrug and move on; they feel betrayed. A leader loses their team’s faith. A business loses customers. A relationship fractures. The damage sticks because trust, once broken, is a beast to rebuild.

Think about it—when you see behind the curtain, it’s not just disappointment; it’s a gut punch. You’ve been sold a lie, and now every word that person says gets filtered through doubt. The Wizard could charm his way out of Oz, but in the real world, the levers don’t work once the truth’s out.

The Ones Who Don’t Need a Curtain

So what’s the flip side? The people who don’t play the Wizard’s game. They don’t need a curtain because they’ve got nothing to hide. Their words and actions sync up—no smoke, no mirrors, just results. These are the leaders who enforce the standards they set, the friends who show up when they say they will, the coaches that deliver what they promise. They’re not perfect, but they’re real. And real beats a flashy illusion every damn time.

The lesson here is simple: if you’re the one behind the curtain, stop pulling levers and start aligning what you say with what you do. Because sooner or later, someone’s going to peek—or rip the whole thing down. And when they do, you’d better be ready to stand on what’s back there. In Oz, it was a quirky old man. In life, it’s your character. Make sure it’s worth seeing.