We live in a highlight culture. One that rewards polish, smoothness, and performance. But leadership requires something far more impactful: clarity. When leaders avoid direct communication, teams fill in the blanks with assumptions, tension, and misalignment. This blog breaks down why speaking straight — clearly and respectfully — is essential for trust and strong culture.

We've done this work many times, but it's safe to say we are the ones learning here. In Botswana, there’s a commitment to kindness and respect like no other culture I’ve seen, and because of that, speaking straight is a struggle.

The most efficient way to accelerate our human performance is to be 100% true to ourselves and those we interact with. When we tell the truth, we align with ourselves and can be sure we are utilizing our best ability for the task or discussion at hand.

Do you consider who your audience is when you use this language? If we don’t, we lose people in the communication.