Honesty is an essential quality in leadership. It is based on integrity, consistency, and transparency—three pillars that enable the establishment of strong relationships and the building of a climate of trust.
On the other hand, a relationship filled with lies and manipulation is like walking around with a ticking time bomb.
You don’t know when everything will explode, but it will eventually happen.
“Being honest won’t get you a lot of friends, but it will get you the right ones.” – John Lennon
Whether in a personal relationship, a team, or a company, we all seek to evolve in an environment where we can rely on others and where intentions are clear.
💡 But why is honesty so difficult to apply daily, especially as a leader?
Difficult decisions, fear of consequences, or social pressure are all obstacles that sometimes push us to modify or even avoid the truth. However, authentic and inspiring leadership inevitably requires honest communication.
Let’s explore the challenges and solutions for embodying transparent leadership while maintaining a climate of trust and respect.
Why Is Honesty Essential for a Leader?
A leader’s mission is to:
- Inspire and guide their team toward common goals
- Encourage employee engagement and motivation
- Establish a climate of trust based on alignment between words and actions
- Lead by example through behaviors aligned with the team’s values
- Help employees surpass themselves and grow
If employees perceive a lack of transparency, distrust sets in, and their engagement decreases. Without trust, progress is impossible.
Environments where information is hidden, manipulated, or inconsistent create tensions that always end up affecting performance and talent retention.
🚨 The problem?
Trust takes a long time to build but can be lost very quickly. A single action perceived as dishonest can be enough to break it.
It’s frustrating, and you often pay for the actions of your predecessors.
That doesn’t change the fact that it will be up to you to turn the situation around.
So, What Makes Honesty Difficult?
Here are six major reasons that can hinder a leader’s commitment to always being transparent.
1️⃣ Fear of Hurting or Offending Others
No one wants to intentionally hurt their colleagues or employees.
Some difficult conversations are hard to have—reprimanding an employee, delivering bad news, or providing negative feedback.
But avoiding these discussions does not truly protect employees; it only delays the inevitable.
🔹 Personal Example:
I remember the first time an employee started crying in my office. I didn’t know how to react, and I felt awful. If I could have curled up under my desk, I would have.
- I took a moment to analyze the situation.
- I reassessed my approach.
- I gathered myself.
- I gave her the space to express her emotions while offering my support.
🔹 Lesson:
You are not responsible for how your message is received but for how you deliver it.
Do it with respect, empathy, courage, and clarity.
There will be times when your audience struggles to accept your words and may feel hurt. These things happen, but they should not prevent you from being honest and transparent in your communications.
It’s natural to want to protect your team members. However, avoiding honesty out of fear of hurting them is not the best way to protect them.
🔹 Solution:
Give the person time to absorb the information, then follow up to clarify and answer their questions.
2️⃣ Fear of Consequences
Telling the truth can sometimes have repercussions:
🚨 A client might complain.
🚨 An employee may react poorly.
🚨 Management might not appreciate it.
💡 But remember: The truth always comes out.
If a problem is hidden or downplayed, it will resurface later with greater impact. That’s why acting transparently from the start is crucial.
- Acknowledge your mistakes.
- Take responsibility.
- Offer concrete solutions.
💬 “A confessed mistake is half forgiven.”
Being upfront is often perceived better than a lie or omission that will be uncovered later.
3️⃣ Ego and the Difficulty of Admitting Mistakes
Honesty also means admitting your limitations and mistakes. It’s uncomfortable, and we tend to avoid it by blaming circumstances or others.
🔹 As a leader, admitting mistakes may seem like a sign of weakness. But in reality, it is an immense strength.
If you want to have more impact as a leader, you must leave your ego at the door.
A vulnerable leader who acknowledges their mistakes earns the respect and loyalty of their team.
- It shows that making mistakes is human.
- It proves they are capable of learning and evolving.
- It fosters a culture of continuous improvement.
💡 No one is perfect. Only those who do nothing never make mistakes.
4️⃣ The Desire to Be Liked and Accepted
We all enjoy receiving compliments and being appreciated.
It’s hard to believe anyone who claims that compliments or harsh insults have no effect on them.
Some people may not let these situations prevent them from being honest with themselves and staying on their chosen path. They might have developed a thick skin to shield themselves from external opinions.
But the truth is, receiving recognition and pleasing others brings some level of happiness to everyone.
However, seeking approval from everyone can lead us to avoid total honesty for fear of displeasing others.
⚠ Problem: Trying to please everyone often results in losing credibility.
It is impossible to please everyone—period.
A great leader does not seek to be liked but respected.
Being honest, even when uncomfortable, strengthens others’ trust in you.
5️⃣ Lack of Managerial Courage
Leadership requires making tough decisions.
At first glance, wanting to protect your team members from difficult situations might seem noble, but in reality, it often reveals a lack of managerial courage.
You are not a leader to make friends but to help your team progress and achieve organizational goals.
🔹 Example: An underperforming employee. It’s easier to ignore the issue and hope they improve. But this sends the wrong message to the rest of the team.
⚠ If you don’t act, you lose credibility.
🔹 Solution: Have an honest conversation quickly to set expectations and redirect their efforts.
Letting these situations persist without action will have a devastating impact on your top performers—the ones who work hard and follow the rules. They are the ones who will leave, not the ones you protected.
So, you have a choice:
❌ Avoid a difficult conversation and lose your best team members.
✅ Take responsibility, manage the situation, and maintain consistency and engagement within the team.
📌 An underperforming employee affects the entire team, while honesty aligns everyone toward shared goals.
6️⃣ Company Culture and Social Environment
🔹 Some companies discourage honesty by punishing those who acknowledge their mistakes.
💡 Real-Life Example:
A manager asked his team to report any mistakes occurring during product manufacturing. Every year, these mistakes cost the company a fortune, and employees avoided reporting them out of fear of consequences.
So, the manager tried to change the culture. He encouraged employees to report errors so they could be addressed quickly.
Sounds good, right?
The problem?
The first employee who had the courage to report a mistake was suspended.
🚨 Result: No one ever spoke up again.
🔹 Solution:
A great leader encourages honesty as a tool for improvement rather than punishing it.
- Creates a safe environment for transparency.
- Analyzes mistakes to find solutions, not blame individuals.
Conclusion: Honesty Is a Strength in Leadership
✅ It fosters trust and motivation.
✅ It improves collaboration and team cohesion.
✅ It enables better management of mistakes and learning.
Being an honest leader takes courage, but it is a powerful lever for building an engaged and high-performing team.
Discover the 5 Must-Ask Questions for Happy Teams
Do you want to better understand what motivates your team members and could help you create a happy team? My practical guide, 5 Must-Ask Questions for Happy Teams, is designed to provide you with simple and effective tools to:
- Create a climate of trust within your team
- Identify the true needs and aspirations of your employees
- Encourage meaningful conversations that foster collaboration
- Boost engagement and collective performance
- Anticipate and resolve challenges before they become obstacles
Carl-Michael Tessier M. Sc., MBA
Coach in high-performance team development and tailor-made support
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