Leaders, Quit the Smoke & Mirrors: It's Time To Be Open About Your Business Decisions

Let’s get something straight—if you’re keeping your team in the dark about the big decisions, you’re not leading, you’re just playing a game of smoke and mirrors. And guess what? Your team sees right through it. Transparency isn’t just a buzzword to toss around in meetings; it’s the foundation of trust, and without it, your leadership is on shaky ground.

Transparency Isn’t Optional—It’s Non-Negotiable

You want your team to trust you, to buy into your vision, and to go all-in on your strategy? Then you better be ready to lay it all out on the table. When you hide behind closed doors and keep your people guessing, you’re not just creating confusion—you’re breeding distrust. And once that trust is gone, good luck getting it back. Real leaders don’t shy away from the tough conversations. They don’t sugarcoat the truth or dance around the facts. They’re upfront, they’re honest, and they don’t leave their team in the dark. Because here’s the reality: if your team doesn’t know what’s going on, how the hell are they supposed to get behind you?

Your Team Deserves to Know the Why

It’s not enough to just bark out orders and expect everyone to fall in line. Your team isn’t a bunch of mindless drones—they’re smart, capable professionals who deserve to know the why behind the what. When you make a big decision, don’t just announce it and walk away. Explain it. Show your team that you respect them enough to share the reasoning behind your choices. This isn’t about giving away trade secrets or airing every detail, but it is about being real. If you want your team to give a damn about your strategy, give them the context they need to understand it. When people know the why, they’re more invested in the how. Even better: let them weigh in. Include the experts in your workforce in the decision-making process. After all, you pay them to be the experts at what they do.

Transparency Builds Loyalty, Secrecy Destroys It

Here’s the thing: people don’t leave companies, they leave leaders. And nothing drives good people away faster than a leader who’s always playing it close to the vest. If your team feels like they’re always the last to know, don’t be surprised when they start looking for the exit.

On the flip side, when you’re transparent, you build loyalty. You show your team that you trust them with the truth, and in return, they’ll trust you. They’ll stick around not just because they like the work, but because they believe in you. And that kind of loyalty is priceless.

Don’t Just Talk About Transparency—Live It

It’s easy to talk a big game about transparency, but it’s another thing to actually live it. Transparency isn’t just about sending out an email every now and then with some half-baked update. It’s about making transparency a core part of your leadership style. It’s about being open, being accessible, and being willing to have the tough conversations, even when it’s uncomfortable. Your team doesn’t need a leader who pretends everything’s fine when it’s not. They need a leader who’s real with them, who tells it like it is, and who trusts them enough to share the big decisions. So stop hiding behind vague statements and start being the transparent leader your team deserves.

Bottom Line

If you want to be a leader worth following, it’s time to drop the act and get real with your team. Be transparent about the big decisions, share the why, and watch how much more invested your team becomes. Remember, transparency isn’t just a leadership trait—it’s a leadership requirement. So step up and start leading with honesty and clarity, because in the end, it’s the only way to build a team that truly has your back.

Photo Credit: Julius Drost via Unsplash