The true test of leadership lies in what you do with information.
Great leaders lead with openness and transparency. They don’t hide; instead, they build a culture where information is shared with all relevant stakeholders. Their strength comes from confronting hard questions, listening intently, and never taking criticism personally. When they do make something confidential, it is to protect the organisation and its mission.
Timid leaders, on the other hand, conceal information to protect themselves and their peers. Their power lies in withholding knowledge. Almost everything they work on is marked “confidential,” not for the sake of the organisation, but to shield their own weaknesses.
This is not about judging others on a scale of greatness or timidness. It is about self-reflection: how are we emerging as leaders?
- Are we keeping secrets because of a lack of trust or fear of being challenged?
- Are we using systems and processes as shields for our own protection?
- Are we drawing power simply by withholding information?
- What are we really afraid of when we share information more openly?
- Are our decisions to hide information truly about safeguarding the organisation—or about safeguarding ourselves?
