The most compassionate thing a leader can do is be clear.
Clear about expectations. Clear about direction. Clear about feedback. Clear about what’s not working and what needs to change.
Clarity is kindness — both to yourself and to those you lead.
The False Kindness of Ambiguity
Most leaders avoid clarity because they think ambiguity is kinder. Soft feedback feels nicer than direct feedback. Vague direction feels less threatening than sharp direction. “Let’s explore this more” feels more inclusive than “No, we’re not doing that.”
But ambiguity isn’t kindness. It’s cowardice dressed up as empathy. And it costs everyone: the team wastes time guessing what you actually want, the project drifts, and the eventual correction is harder than early clarity would have been.
Clarity Compounds
Clear expectations on day one prevent painful conversations on day ninety. Clear product requirements prevent expensive rework. Clear strategic priorities prevent team burnout from trying to do everything.
Confusion compounds too. Every unclear directive creates downstream confusion in every team it touches. One fuzzy strategy statement generates a hundred misaligned decisions across the organization.
Practicing Clarity
Clarity is a muscle. It gets stronger with use. Start with: Can I explain this decision in one sentence? Can I tell this person exactly what I need from them? Can I say no without apologizing for having standards?
The best leaders I’ve worked with are generous with clarity and stingy with ambiguity. Be one of them.
Choose to be wise.