Good Leaders Lie
We’ve all heard the phrase “good leaders lie”—and not because they’re malicious, but because they think they have to. To protect morale. To manage optics. To keep calm. But that instinct to shield employees from the truth? It’s doing more harm than good.
In our research with nearly 50,000 frontline employees, we saw it play out: the perceived care from managers dropped dramatically over time. And the reason wasn’t burnout or bandwidth—it was honesty. When leaders stop communicating openly, trust erodes. Quickly.
The truth is, people can feel when something’s off. They hear the bright message, but experience the breakdown. That gap between message and reality creates a leadership trust deficit that every leader—no matter how sincere—has to overcome.
The solution isn’t spin. It’s surrendering the illusion of control. Clarity over confidence. Precision over polish. If you want your people to navigate change with resilience, start by telling them the truth. That’s not just leadership—it’s leadership people can believe in.
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