In Episode #112 of The Executive Commute, Jayson Krause is joined by experienced entrepreneur, former CEO, and TEC Canada Chair Mark Terrill for a candid conversation about transparency in leadership.

They explore why transparency is essential for building trust, particularly during difficult periods, and why employees create their own explanations when leaders fail to communicate clearly.

Mark also explains why effective transparency does not mean sharing everything. Leaders must balance openness with confidentiality, timing, focus, and empathy. When handled poorly, transparency can become oversharing, venting, or an overload of information that creates more fear than alignment.

This episode will challenge you to consider what your team needs to hear, what you may be withholding, and how more intentional communication could strengthen your leadership.

Episode timestamps:

00:00 Can a leader become more transparent?
01:13 The cost of holding back
06:43 Why transparency builds trust
09:45 Transparency versus full disclosure
11:47 Mark's leadership journey
22:14 What transparency really means
26:22 Why openness is mistaken for weakness
31:04 What breaks when transparency is missing
31:54 Leading transparently through tough times
34:04 The illusion of transparency
36:55 Becoming a more transparent leader
37:48 Mark's greatest moment of self-doubt
42:10 Spotting a lack of transparency
44:42 Advanced transparency
49:03 The dark side of transparency
52:00 Transparency versus venting
54:04 The transparency paradox
56:01 When total transparency becomes harmful
58:21 Getting transparency right
61:37 Can transparency reduce honesty?
64:09 Damaging transparency advice
65:37 Can transparent leaders fail?
66:43 The importance of pivoting quickly
68:38 Final takeaway

Follow Jayson Krause
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3Voc2qOmcqGKfqy6CDiZOw
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayson-krause/