Why leaders need to stop confusing transparency with clarity |
In 2001, Antoni was working at a business that was underperforming and facing layoffs. People didn’t know who would be cut or when. You could tell by people’s behavior that anxiety was at an all-time high. Managers were “networking” in the right corridors, colleagues started to crowd meetings to look indispensable, and teams were slowing down because nobody wanted to make the wrong move.
One leader chose a different tactic. Every day, at the same time, he stood in the same spot where anyone could walk up to him. He shared what he actually knew (not what he guessed), answered questions without theater, and ended with a concrete direction for “today.” People still didn’t like the situation, but the atmosphere changed. Not because he shared more information than everyone else. Because he paired transparency with clarity.
That pairing is the point. Leaders talk about “being transparent” as if it’s the whole job, but it isn’t. Transparency and clarity are different muscles. Transparency builds trust, while clarity builds focus. When you confuse them, you end up paying twice in lost time and diminished credibility.
The myth: more transparency automatically creates clarity
Transparency in a company setting typically means more dashboards, more all-hands, and more context. It feels responsible—especially in uncertain moments—because it signals you aren’t hiding anything.
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But facts don’t organize themselves. People still have to decide what matters, what they need to ignore, and what to do next. When leaders don’t provide that structure, they leave teams confused, and teams will fill in the blanks with rumor and gossip. In the end, this leads to more insecurity and more internal politics.
How transparency can coexist with confusion
This is why “radical transparency” can coexist with mass confusion. You can be open and still leave people directionless.
In some instances, transparency can even backfire. David De Cremer summarizes research showing that “complete transparency” can trigger predictable side effects: blame cultures (because you see who erred without understanding why), distrust (because being constantly monitored feels like suspicion), and even resistance and reduced creativity in highly exposed environments.
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