In my experience, I think we all want to be good leaders.

Supportive. Empowering. Trusted.

We want our teams to feel safe and valued.

But there’s one thing that often gets in the way — and most leaders don’t even realise they’re doing it.

They avoid being clear.

Why We Avoid Clarity

It’s not because we don’t know what we want.

It’s because saying it out loud feels… uncomfortable.

We worry:

• “I don’t want to sound harsh.”

• “What if they take it the wrong way?”

• “They should know this already.”

• “I don’t want to micromanage.”

So we do something else instead.

We hint.

We hope.

We leave it unsaid and expect people to figure it out.

And when they don’t, we get frustrated — and so do they.

The Pitfalls of Being Unclear

Here’s what happens when clarity is missing:

• Underperformance: Team members can’t meet expectations they don’t understand.

• Anxiety: People feel like they’re guessing — and fear making mistakes.

• Disconnection: “They never told me that” becomes the soundtrack of your culture.

• Leadership burnout: You keep picking up the pieces because “it’s easier to do it myself.”

Avoiding clarity isn’t protecting your team. It’s protecting your own comfort.

And it’s costing everyone.

What Clarity Looks Like

Clarity doesn’t mean being blunt or cold.

It doesn’t mean barking orders or pointing fingers.

It means:

• Being specific about what you want

• Sharing the “why” so people understand the bigger picture

• Checking that you’ve been understood

• Following up, kindly and consistently

And most importantly: making it safe to get things wrong.

How to Lead With Clarity

Here’s a practical 5-step approach you can start using today:

1. Name the issue early

Don’t let things fester. If someone is off-track, step in gently — but quickly.

2. Use the Magic Feedback Model

Here’s the line I teach every leader I work with to start a feedback conversation:

“I’m giving you this feedback because we have high standards here — and I believe you can achieve them.”

That one sentence does a lot of heavy lifting.

It:

• Creates a sense of belonging (“you’re part of this”)

• Sets clear expectations (“we hold a high bar here”)

• Instils belief (“I think you’re capable of reaching it”)

Magic Feedback isn’t about being fluffy or formulaic. It’s about framing feedback as an investment — not a punishment.

When you start from belief and clarity, people listen differently.

They lean in instead of shutting down.

They feel supported, not scrutinised.

And that’s when real growth happens.

3. Get comfortable with discomfort

This is the hardest part.

You have to accept that being a clear leader sometimes means feeling awkward — and doing it anyway.

That moment of discomfort can save months of confusion, resentment, or underperformance.

4. Model it from the top

If you want your team to communicate clearly, they need to see you doing it first.

Clarity isn’t a post-it note — it’s a habit.

5. Make it a culture, not a one-off

Don’t save feedback for performance reviews or “when things get bad.”

Build a rhythm of check-ins, feedback loops, and casual conversations.

Clarity works best when it’s normal.

Final Thought

You can be kind and clear.

In fact, the kindest thing you can do for your team is help them know exactly where they stand — and how they can succeed.

If you’re tired of hinting, second-guessing, or tiptoeing around issues…

Start leading with clarity.

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