Trust builds when people can see the real picture, even if it isn’t flattering. Leaders who share what’s working and what isn’t give their teams something solid to hold onto. Without that, people are left to guess, and guessing rarely paints leadership in a good light.
Silence has a cost; a delay is seen as a disaster and a tough quarter becomes a sinking ship. When the truth doesn’t travel fast enough, the story gets rewritten in ways that make the problem worse.
Transparency doesn’t mean handing out every detail. It means offering enough context so that people understand why decisions are made and where things are headed. Even bad news carries weight when it’s delivered plainly. People may not like hearing it, but they’ll respect the honesty.
Say what you know, say what you don’t, and say what comes next. Trust grows when the truth moves faster than the rumors.
