Advice Column #9: Handle the Truth
Are we ready for leaders who tell the truth?
Dear Bizlet:
At a team offsite, our company CEO (let’s call them “Leonard”) did a Q&A session. When asked if layoffs were expected, he gave an answer that raised some eyebrows. He said he was optimistic, that there were no immediate plans, and the company was doing pretty well. Leonard also said he “couldn’t promise” that layoffs wouldn’t occur at some point. He said that “job loss is always a possibility” and in difficult times even the CEO’s job can be in jeopardy, because they report to a Board of Directors who could fire them any time. I just about passed out. What do you think?
— Amanda
Dear Amanda:
Wait, did you pass out from horror because the CEO went off-message? Or from ecstatic delight at exec willing to tell the truth?
Join me on Team Leonard when you wake up! I’m having “⛈ Job loss is always a possibility ⛈” t-shirts made for our new club.
Look, my friends: our jobs are all in jeopardy, all the time. As long as we are working for somebody else, in our “employment at will” system, any day could be the last.
I’m proud of Leonard’s answer — candid but measured, chef’s kiss!
More on that in a minute. First let’s take a moment to acknowledge that pretty much all possible answers to this question also mostly suck:
Option 1: Dodge! Something like “I know it’s a difficult time, it’s never been more important to stay focused on the work.” This is what most executives would do. Many workers will interpret this to me “We are f*cked!” (they’d be right, probably). Sme will panic and start looking for a new job.
Option 2: Deny! Popularized by the Iraqi Minister of Information. Just insist everything is fine! When eventually the axe does swing, as it inevitably will, you’ll look like a fool and a liar. Nobody will believe anything you say, ever again.
Option 3: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ “Beats me! Let me know if you hear anything!” When pressed, many managers will give some version of this poor, sad answer. At least it’s the truth. Unfortunately, it reveals a leader who is not only out of the loop, but who has no advice on how to manage the anxiety that everyone is feeling.
Let’s look again at this part of Leonard’s emotionally intelligent answer:
“Job loss is always a possibility when you’re working in a corporate environment.”
That’s hardly a “sky is falling” prediction of impending doom. It’s the truth, of course, but if you look harder I think you’ll see it’s actually a very constructive attempt at servant leadership from a person with real integrity.
A leader who can tell the truth when everything is perfect is one who is untested. It takes some courage to be honest when things really suck. Tell me the truth, which isn’t exactly what I want to hear, and give me a reason to be optimistic that things will improve.
What more can I ask?
Telling the Truth
There’s rarely any harm in revealing something everybody already knows. At worst, some people will scurry to update their resume, and maybe start contemplating greener pastures. How is that worse than being lied to?
Coaches advise clients to keep their resumes updated even when things are going great. The worst possible time to be digging up facts about your achievements and recognition is when you’ve just lost your job. It’s solid career advice, Leonard.
Beyond that, what inspires me about this is Leonard’s decision to ask the team to simply meet him where he is. What do people really want from their leaders? Is it someone who delivers the same “Everything is awesome!” pablum from the podium?
What if you’re a leader who trusts your team, and you want earned trust in return? You can take the microphone and say:
Everything is not awesome.
I don’t have all the answers.
We’re all doing our best to make the best of uncertain times.
I can say from experience this is easier said than done! I’ve tried often, and I’ve sometimes failed. I’ve shared too many unfiltered anxieties, getting people needlessly upset when they needed to see a steady hand. Other times I’ve kept information that I could have shared, earning trust and respect from people who surely had mine.
It’s not a simple task for a leader to strike the right balance, but this is the job we signed up for when we stepped up to lead.
If you lie to someone long enough, they’ll start looking elsewhere for the truth. Invite your team to join you at the grownup table, and see who shows up.
Emotionally intelligent people appreciate candid messages, crafted with care, from the mouth of an empathetic and respectful leader acting out of interest for the team.
Leaders who have lost touch with the team often fall back on emotionally unintelligent “tough talk.” This is a great way to alienate everybody. Still, there’s always someone who feels they’re only doing their job when they’re saying things that people don’t want to hear.
Trust is earned over time, when the team sees leaders operating out of concern for everybody’s safety, not just their own desire to be heard. Doing hard things by being a hard person is a dangerous business. You’ll get attention, but you won’t get respect.
Nice going, Leonard! Whatever your opinion, Amanda, I hope you find a way to share it with the boss.