Holding Back Impedes Trust

Looking back on the last month I found myself in positions where courageous conversations were taking place. In each situation there were moments where information was shared that those involved were not ready to hear.

As I reflected upon these moments I remembered the famous movie "A Few Good Men" where the character, Colonel Jessup (Jack Nicholson) yells "You can't handle the truth!". This was a great reminder for me that it is not our job to assume others cannot handle the truth. If we hold back with our employees and teams we may be impacting our relationships by not being fully honest.

Think back to the times you have held back information with others and ask yourself these questions:

• Did I hold back because it cannot be shared right now because of confidential business situations?

• Did I hold back because I didn't think they could handle the truth?

• Did I hold back because it was going to be too hard for me to tell them?

• Did I hold back because I was not ready to hear what they would share with me?

As leaders we do not have the option to hold back out of fear of how others will react or what they may share with you. It is our job to lean into these courageous conversations with honesty, compassion, transparency and vulnerability. By doing this you will continue to build trust with others.