I heard a journalist recently put it this way: “A trust deficit is triggered when there are gaps.”
He was referring to gaps in information. A leader holding back. A brand talking up the positives but ignoring the glaring problems.
It’s obvious, isn’t it – when there are information gaps, people will fill them.
If they’re not doing it on their own, AI is doing it for them.
What they fill them with might be far more damaging than the truth.
Content is cheaper than chips and easy to find.
Bottom line for all leaders: Your teams, customers and community aren’t patiently waiting while you decide what they need to know.
If you're not telling the story, someone else is.
There’ll be situations when you genuinely can't share everything due to legal, privacy, commercial or other reasons.
But there's a difference between not being able to divulge information and appearing to hide it.
You can still say what you know, what you don't, what you can share and why some details must remain confidential.
Get my latest insights on this topic in this week’s video. Access it here: https://youtu.be/z0TkmVvoB8w
“Knowledge is power” according to the old saying. These days, sharing what you can - clearly and openly - is a far more powerful way to lead.
Trust is already in low supply. Don’t create an even bigger trust deficit by under-communicating.
