The Hidden Costs of Avoiding Transparency in Leadership (And How to Fix It)

Did you know that 58% of employees say they trust strangers more than their own boss? Yeah—let that sink in for a minute. More than half of the workforce would rather rely on someone they just met than the person leading them every day.

This isn't just a trust problem—it's a leadership problem. And at the heart of it is a lack of transparency.

Before we dive into how to fix it, I want to define what the word transparency means to me. I use transparency to mean the ability to be open about what’s going on in the moment. There are different levels of openness, sure—but at its core, it's about using honesty with those around you to build trust.

Transparency isn’t oversharing. It’s not a confessional. It’s a way to short-circuit miscommunication. It lets others know that your distraction in a meeting or a quick comment isn’t about them—it’s about something else. And that clarity is powerful. It builds psychological safety. It frees up mental energy. It fosters connection.

Let me give you a real example. My dad passed away during the spring semester while I was teaching in the business school. I had just launched a one-credit course I designed from scratch—focused entirely on building your foundation for the future. The cornerstone of that class? Transparency. Knowing yourself. Being intentional about surrounding yourself with people who share your leadership style. Choosing alignment over chaos. Building something real.

As my dad's health declined, I made a last-minute decision to move my class online. As luck would have it, spring break was the following week. That same night, he passed.

A few students reached out after hearing the news. And you know what? I was grateful. Grateful for the buffer of a week to grieve—not in front of a classroom, but privately.

When we returned, my first lecture was titled “What Will They Say at Your Funeral?” I talked about the loss of my best friend, Eliza—a mother of four—just two months before my dad lost her battle to cancer. I showed photos of my dad’s life, and his legacy. How the City of Brewer honored him. How the State of Maine invited us to a ceremony to recognize his impact. He help found the John Bapst hockey team and the team showed up in their jerseys with a donation to my dad's hockey sponsorship fund.

I asked my students: How do you want to be remembered?

Because here’s the truth: You’re already building that legacy, every single day. And if you want to be remembered as someone others trusted, respected, and felt safe around? It starts with transparency.

Not perfection.

Not control.

Just honesty, and a willingness to be real—even when it’s hard.

Start living with transparency and compassion, and watch how everything else starts to fall into place.

If this message resonates with you—if you want to lead better, build trust faster, and live with more clarity—reach out. Let’s work together to bring that kind of leadership to life.