Tipping the balance on transparency
What everyday openness from leaders really makes possible
Many leaders hesitate when it comes to everyday transparency. There’s a fear of saying too much – of something leaking, of comments being taken out of context, of information becoming gossip or ammunition. There's also the quiet belief that people don’t need to know. Why would I tell them that? What will they do with it? This isn’t relevant for them. Perhaps there’s a belief it is better to wait, until the information is completely clear and can be communicated with certainty rather than while still in process. Sometimes it isn’t even a conscious decision, it simply doesn’t occur to leaders that others might want, need, or be interested in that information.
The caution around confidentiality, timing and control are all understandable. But what is rarely considered is the cost of withholding. Because erring towards sharing a little more, rather than a little less, is an essential ingredient in building trust. Let’s explore.
Filling the vacuum
In the absence of information, people don’t sit quietly and think and do nothing. They interpret, filling in the blanks with their own theories, creating meaning around what hasn’t been said. And even when those stories are wrong, sometimes completely and utterly so, they still shape behaviour, relationships, and decisions.
Those stories are also more likely to be negative than positive. Fear leads us towards considering the worst-case scenario, rather than the most likely.
“Fear fills the void at all costs, passing off what you dread for what you know, offering up the worst in place of the ambiguous, substituting assumption for reason.”
Isaac Lidsky, What reality are you creating for yourself?, TED 2016
That drives defensive behaviour, as people anticipate the worst and try to pre-emptively avoid it. They will seek to mitigate risks that might not even exist, and avoid taking any new ones. All of which seeps into the culture, and not in a good way.
The costs of not sharing
When leaders don’t share information, even with the intent of protecting their teams or waiting for certainty, it often causes more harm than good. The first and most immediate cost is confusion. Silence in the face of change or uncertainty doesn’t create calm; it creates space for worry. The energy that could and should be spent moving work forward gets redirected into speculation, reassurance-seeking, or quiet unease. Teams become distracted by the mental and emotional strain of operating in the unknown, and that strain shows up in slower decisions and reduced productivity.
The second cost is relational – a slow erosion of trust. When information is repeatedly withheld, it starts to feel like a statement about the team’s capability. People begin to feel infantilised, as though they can’t be trusted to hear incomplete thoughts, hold ambiguity, or handle context until it’s perfectly packaged. Over time, this kind of gatekeeping sends a signal that their leaders don’t see them as partners in the work, but as recipients who need to be managed and shielded, which fundamentally undermines confidence and commitment.
Finally, when withholding becomes a habit, that norm seeps down into every layer of the organisation. People start waiting until things are perfect before sharing: questions go unasked, challenges are muted, and information is held onto because the perceived value lies in control, not connection. This slows down decision-making, weakens collaboration, and frustrates those who feel perpetually left out of the loop. What begins as a cautious leadership instinct ends up modelling behaviour that actively limits the speed, cohesion, and shared ownership a team needs to thrive.
Five ways to practise greater transparency
The most effective leaders don’t treat transparency as an event. Instead they practise little and often, taking the opportunity to share in the micro-moments where a little more openness changes the tone, the direction, or the temperature in the room.
Harness micro-interactions to build trust
It’s often the small, seemingly inconsequential things we share that either create or diminish trust. This includes how a leader answers a question they’d rather avoid, how they share context around a decision, and whether they acknowledge hard truths in the room or swerve around them.
Taking the chance to share just a little more than feels comfortable in these moments builds trust and connection, and means you’re more likely to hear honest answers from your team in return.
Use transparency to reduce the cost of ambiguity
See if you can start from a default assumption that you can be transparent, rather than you can’t or shouldn’t. Try flipping how you think about what you share with your team:
Rather than “This is why I can’t share this” ask “What could I share?”
Instead of “Why would I share this?” ask “Is there any reason I can’t share this?”
Being intentionally transparent doesn’t mean revealing everything. It means sharing what people need to make sense of their environment – not just what’s safe or convenient to share. Providing context, naming the reasons behind a decision, or even just acknowledging uncertainty early can save teams a lot of sideways energy.
Be willing to be vulnerable in the moment to model courage
Vulnerability isn’t about emotional oversharing, it’s about real-time honesty. Small admissions of not knowing or being in progress give others permission to be open too. Leaders don’t have to project certainty when it’s not there. In fact, doing so can have the opposite effect, creating a culture of surface-level agreement and private doubt.
Openness in the moment – saying you’re unsure, or that something didn’t land well – signals that psychological safety is real, not just aspirational. That courage is allowed, and that questioning is welcomed.
Fuel feedback loops through openness
Feedback cultures are grounded in leaders modelling how to receive, and visibly respond to, input. Yes, leaders need to practise giving feedback, but unless you also model receiving, you won’t create a culture where it is safe to make mistakes and learn from them.
Feedback is most effective when it’s woven into the flow of work, not just delivered in formal settings. That means responding in the moment to challenge. For example: naming when someone’s comment or perspective has shifted your thinking and clarifying how you’re shifting your response or your actions. These are micro-interactions that normalise dialogue and signal that input leads to change.
When openness is absent, feedback becomes risky. When it's modelled, it becomes routine.
Use clarity in micro-interactions to create momentum
Clarity builds confidence, and confidence builds pace. The small acts of being clear – even when the message is difficult – accumulate. A leader who regularly explains decisions, sets clear expectations, or names what others are thinking but not saying, removes friction from the system.
When we don’t clarify, teams fill the gap. They second-guess direction, hold back ideas, or rework things unnecessarily. Micro-transparency creates coherence, which in turn creates forward movement.
Transparency doesn’t mean sharing everything, always. It’s about knowing when to offer a little more context, a little more honesty, or a little more explanation than feels strictly necessary – because that small gesture might save a lot of time and hassle later. Because as ever, it's the small stuff that makes the big difference.
Where are you reluctant to be transparent? What could you practise this week to be more open? Hit reply and let me know or leave a comment below.
Meme of the week
Not at all related to transparency, but this one made me laugh 😂
Join me for the next Small Stuff, Big Impact workshop
The next Small Stuff Big Impact Workshop will be on 11th June at 12.30pm BST – note the change of date due to an unavoidable clash, just in case you can now make the new time!
I’d love for you to join me, and share this with any of your friends and colleagues who might be interested in attending.
Unlock the hidden power of small, everyday interactions with "Small Stuff, Big Impact: Discover the transformative power of micro-interactions" – this live, online (and complimentary) workshop will introduce you to the world of micro-interactions – those small, seemingly inconsequential moments that have a profound impact on your team’s engagement and performance. If you’re leading or managing others, mastering these moments is essential to building stronger relationships and creating a more motivated, connected team.
In this 60-minute introductory workshop, you will:
🌟 Learn what micro-interactions are and why they matter in leadership.
🌟 Discover how small adjustments in communication, tone, and behaviour can create a ripple effect, transforming your daily interactions into powerful tools for engagement.
🌟 Learn how to translate theory into action – you will leave with practical suggestions to start making subtle but effective changes right away.
Register for your place via this link, and please do share with anyone you know who might like to join.
Places are limited to ensure a truly interactive discussion, so sign up now to avoid missing out.
See you there!
Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you next week!
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