We tend to prefer dark-coloured clothes over light ones—after all, light colours get dirty easily.
But do they?
Dark clothes aren’t magically dirt-resistant; they just do a better job of hiding the grime. The stains and smudges are still there, just less visible. In a way, light-coloured clothes are the honest ones. They don’t pretend. They tell us exactly where the dirt is and when it’s time for a wash.
And the same goes for leadership.
We’re better off surrounding ourselves with people who “wear light colours”—those who openly communicate our personal and business flaws. When our team highlights inefficiencies, manual bottlenecks, a lack of automation, weak structures, or leadership gaps, they’re handing us a clear map of what needs fixing.
But too often, we seek comfort in people who “wear dark colours”—those who obscure issues, avoid difficult conversations, and let us believe everything’s fine.
The real question is: Do you want to look clean or be clean?
