Surprises are bad.
Addressing conflicts head on with
appropriate honesty, candor
and as soon as possible
allows for the negative attribution effect and
confusion to be minimized while increasing trust.
As a leader, clearing the way for people to move forward
is one of the best ways to care for the people you lead.
Clarity demands intentional communication.
I’m sorry if I might spoil a 25 year old movie for you.
Back when I was in middle school, I went to go see the movie Castaway at the movie theater. As the movie comes to a close, Tom Hanks’ character, who was a FedEx cargo pilot survived years being stranded on an island, eventually is found floating on a makeshift raft in the middle of the ocean. He makes his way back to the US after everyone had thought that he died and gets a second chance at life and as he’s driving down a road he stops to get out of the car to look at a map of where he’s going (pre-smartphones…).
He rolls out the map on his car and talks to a woman who stops her car as she passes by. They have a conversation and as she drives away he notices a logo on her truck that is the same logo of a package he held on to, and didn’t open on the island his entire time there. He gets back into the car to, presumably follows her and the movie ends.
As I sat there in the movie theater, I had questions. There was no resolution and my 13 year-old brain was confused. It didn’t make me upset, however, I think it was the first time I had ever experienced something like that.
A few days later, I remember talking on the phone with grandpa about it who also had recently seen the movie. He had heard that I had questions. As we chatted about the details of the movie and the story, he could tell I was confused about the ending. He asked me, “Well, what do you think happened to him?” Up until that moment, I hadn’t thought about this being a question I should ask. I was in charge of filling in the gaps to an ending that wasn’t on the screen.
The unresolved, open-ended nature for the ending of the movie unlocked something in me creatively. Not everything needed to be spelled out. The older I got, the more true to reality this actually is and in some ways, to see it reflected in art is more compelling than something full of closed loops.
We are creative creatures who like to fill in the gaps. This is great when it comes to movies or art. Honestly, I prefer the way art can leave a resolution suspended in the air; it creates intrigue and is compelling.
It is not so great when it comes to leadership. It is not so great when it comes to people’s livelihoods.
But the people we lead demand clarity.
Clarity is not just about making things understandable; it is an act of kindness, a means of ensuring that those we lead are not left in confusion, frustration, or uncertainty. Surprises, especially in organizational and relational contexts, often lead to distrust and disengagement. When conflicts arise, the best approach is to address them head-on with honesty, candor, and timeliness. Doing so minimizes misunderstanding and fosters a culture of trust, accountability, and shared purpose.
Many leaders underestimate the power of clarity. They may assume that keeping people on a “need-to-know” basis minimizes confusion, or that difficult truths are best left unspoken. However, the opposite is true. When communication is vague, withheld, or ambiguous, it creates room for misinterpretation, doubt, and unnecessary anxiety. People fill in the gaps with their own assumptions, which will often lean toward the negative.
no surprises.
“Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ Anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”
Matthew 5:37
Surprises, particularly in leadership, can often do more harm than good. Unanticipated shifts in expectations, policy changes, or unresolved tensions can erode trust. The higher up you go in an organization the more over-communication will be needed to make it feel like the organization is not continually moving the goalposts. People thrive when they feel secure and informed, when they know where the boundaries are or how they win. When they are blindsided, even with good news, it can create instability and wariness. Transparent and consistent communication is necessary. Leaders must strive to ensure that their words align with their actions, and that those they lead are never left wondering where they stand.
clarity is hard.
Clarity often involves rigorous work because it definitely is not the easy path especially at first. We cannot be leaders who are avoidant because one of the greatest temptations in leadership is to avoid difficult conversations. Conflict is uncomfortable, and confronting it requires courage. However, delaying or sidestepping conflict only exacerbates the problem. When issues are left unaddressed, they fester, leading to resentment, disengagement, and a loss of credibility for the leader. You cannot stumble into clarity.
Paul’s letter to the Ephesians provides clear instruction on this matter: “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.” (Ephesians 4:25). Truthfulness fosters unity and ensures that the body of Christ functions harmoniously. Leaders must be willing to have hard conversations with grace and firmness, seeking resolution rather than avoidance.
clarity protects against bias.
When things seem unclear or ambiguous, stress is introduced. As stress increases, the need for resolution increases proportionally. The people you lead will internally demand answers to make sense of their reality, and more often than not if there is a high sense of ambiguity, there is low trust. These conditions are ripe for people to fill in the gaps with negative assumptions. If a leader fails to communicate why a change is happening, employees or volunteers might assume incompetence, self-interest, or hidden agendas. This perception damages morale and can lead to division. What people perceive is their
Plenty of studies have been done on why this happens, and our cognitive bias’ is bent towards the negative when things are unclear as a survival mechanism. However short term and dysfunctional the gains are, from a social perspective it allows people to unite against a common enemy much easier. We long for the camaraderie in the midst of confusion as a way to help deal with our realities; in a sense, so long as we don’t have to be alone, life is a little easier.
clarity is appropriate candor.
If someone filled me in on the current details of my life twenty years ago, I would probably shudder in fear. I would not have been ready, nor would I have been able to appropriately comprehend that I actually love what’s happening in my life right now. For the people we lead, we don’t need to inundate with unnecessary details, but we need to reveal what needs to be revealed for trust to form and for people to know which way they should go.
I believe in being open as a leader, and there are times when it has backfired on me; but it allows me to be honest. The open sharing of information can instill value in the people you are sharing it with and if your team is filled with people you trust, there are less reasons to worry about them responding poorly. We often like to withhold information as a way to exercise authority, but it’s short-sighted. Not everyone needs to know everything, but I guarantee more people should know more than they do.
clarity takes time.
Being clear as a leader is not an instantaneous process—it is cultivated over time through consistent communication, active listening, and deliberate effort. Clarity requires patience, because it involves ensuring that every person in the organization understands the vision, expectations, and direction. It is not enough to issue a directive once and assume comprehension; leaders must reinforce their messages through repetition, clarification, and dialogue.
Leaders must recognize that different individuals process information in unique ways. Some may grasp a concept immediately, while others require further explanation and time to absorb the details. Effective leadership means making space for questions, offering follow-ups, and checking for understanding. Proverbs 4:7 states, “The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.” True clarity demands persistence in the pursuit of understanding.
Additionally, clarity is refined through experience. Leaders grow in their ability to communicate effectively by learning from past mistakes, seeking feedback, and continuously improving how they articulate their vision. Leaders must embrace the process, knowing that clarity is not a one-time achievement but an ongoing commitment.
clarity takes faith.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Proverbs 3:5-6
“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”
Psalm 119:105
You will not have it all figured out when you are leading your team, but leading with clarity doesn’t require to have all the answers. It requires a humility to understand that there are powers beyond your scope of influence however you can always be clear on who you are supposed to be. It takes faith in God, it takes faith in yourself.
There also might be potential times where you cannot even begin to think about something two steps from now. But you don’t have to; one step is all you need. When we live by faith, the temptation to over-plan and over strategize every goal is minimized. The fallacy that every leader needs to be aware of every possible outcome is one that many feel paralyzed by.
Trust yourself and more importantly, trust that God sees, hears and knows. He holds the lamp to light your next step.
cultivate.
If leaders want to cultivate clarity within their teams, organizations, and communities, they must take active steps:
- be transparent – Share necessary information as early and as clearly as possible. Do not allow people to operate in the dark.
- ask, not assume – Create a culture where questions and concerns are welcomed, and where people feel safe seeking clarity.
- expect difficulty – When conflict or confusion arises, address it immediately. Do not allow issues to grow into larger problems.
- speak plainly – Avoid jargon, ambiguity, or overly complex explanations. Ensure that people truly understand what is being communicated.
- be consistent – Be the example. Let your words and actions align, so those you lead never have to guess where you stand.
commit
Clarity is kindness.
Clarity is the spark that ignites confidence.
It’s a lighthouse, turning hesitation into motion, uncertainty into purpose.
When the path is clear, doubt fades.
Fear loosens its grip.
Decisions become bold, and steps grow steady.
A well-lit vision doesn’t just guide the way—it empowers others to walk it with more certainty.
Ambiguity breeds hesitation. Clarity fuels momentum.
It speaks in simple truths, aligning hearts and hands toward a shared purpose.
It replaces second-guessing with bold action, turning fear into focus and confusion into conviction.
Clarity is a battle and you will never stumble into it.