Leadership is defined by a range of qualities that individuals must embody if they are to be regarded as true leaders. For me, one of these is the ability to speak the truth and to do so in a way that people can understand without feeling diminished or discouraged.
Too often, there is a tendency to tiptoe around the truth. Over time, this becomes a burden and can lead to negative consequences that overcome the positive ones of trying to be polite and politically correct. I see this frequently in my coaching work, particularly when it comes to addressing flaws in a new process or tool or discussing someone’s performance. We have either become too easy to insult, or we have stopped caring about speaking the truth. I am sometimes baffled by the reason, although I can point a finger at some of the reasons.
It is important to confront these issues directly and thoughtfully, and to encourage people to step into the kind of leadership their organisation truly needs. That is why I believe this is a topic worth addressing.
Why silence is hurting everyone
Not so long ago, I worked on a case where someone in an organisation was clearly not performing, and this was confirmed from multiple sources. We spent several sessions with a few people who had been working closely with this individual, all of whom raised concerns about their ability to use tools and follow processes effectively. Yet the person themselves seemed somewhat unaware of the extent of the issue.
They were visibly upset, sensing the frustration around them but unable to understand what they were doing wrong. From the outside, the path forward was quite clear. However, situations like this often become more complicated than they need to be because people are not used to speaking the truth openly. Instead, there is an expectation that someone else will eventually step in and say what needs to be said.
To me, this reflects weaker leadership qualities within an organisation as a whole. When no one is willing to speak honestly, it stops being an individual problem and becomes a systemic one, rooted in how people relate to responsibility, accountability and communication (enters the ACE model).
In this case, people were actually aware of the issue, but there was no direct communication about it. The only exchange happening was informal and internal, often in the form of gossip, which is another consequence of a lack of strong leadership behaviours.
When leadership is at the required level, someone working with or overseeing the individual would sit down with them and explain the situation clearly from the beginning. They would convey that more effort is needed, while also motivating the person to see it as an opportunity for improvement and growth.
When situations like this arise, part of my work is to help shape organisational behaviours so that people become more open in their communication and engagement. If this doesn’t happen, every individual, team and department will fail over and over again over mundane and big things, because of one simple reason – no one wants to speak up.
The organisational symptoms check
Now that I have outlined the problem, I would like to address it on another level. It is important for business owners and senior management to understand that addressing the “speaking the truth” challenge sits at the core of a healthy organisation. It matters because, when this is present, people are not afraid to say what they think, whether you are presenting a flawed idea, a process needs fixing, or even something as simple as the espresso machine not working properly.
Whichever way you approach it, from small to large or large to small, truth matters. It should be encouraged, but also grounded in emotional intelligence so that the intention is constructive and clearly expressed. This kind of organisational literacy is not often found in today’s organisations. If you look at the culture memo from Netflix, you will find the principle “people over processes”, where it states: “We hire unusually responsible people who thrive on this openness and freedom.”
This is perhaps one of the clearest definitions of the importance of speaking the truth. If you hire responsible people who are encouraged to speak their minds when it matters, you are in a strong position. Many companies have failed because of a kind of deadly silence that, over time, proves fatal. When there are no disagreements, no counterarguments, no one willing to press the red button, you end up with a group of blindly compliant individuals who will not speak up, not even about small issues, let alone the major ones that need to be rethought or rebuilt.
There is one simple symptom check to see if people in your organisation are leading. Check the small stuff and see if they care to address them, if for example your office is filled with broken stuff that don’t work, and even basic logistic is not done, you have a serious issue in your hands, deal with it with urgency so that you are not standing alone when tough time comes.
Why upper management is blind
When you speak with people in the field, they often know the problems by heart, from the smallest issues to the ones that truly matter. The difference lies in how much they feel able, and willing, to address them. If their voice is shut down, if it feels like speaking into a void, the motivation to speak up quickly fades and can disappear altogether.
I know of a case where someone was dismissed simply because a member of senior management did not like them, despite there being no concerns about their work or results. Imagine that, and then consider the wider impact on everyone around them. The message becomes clear: stay quiet, do not raise concerns, or you may face consequences.
Of course, there are difficult employees, and some can bring strain into the working environment. However, when people are selected thoughtfully and aligned with the organisation’s culture, situations like this are far less likely to occur. At times, senior management inadvertently dictates silence. At other times, issues accumulate around them without their awareness, simply because no one feels able to speak up.
I will leave you with one final thought. Create a culture that values openness, and encourage people to contribute with confidence and purpose. When you do, they are capable of achieving remarkable things. And if you would like to explore how this can take shape within your organisation, I would be glad to speak with you.