Leadership transparency is a buzzword. “I’m an open book. Ask me anything.”

But here’s the truth: great leaders aren’t open books, they’re disciplined communicators.

In today’s episode of Hire Power, we’re breaking down the nuance of transparency:

When it builds trust, and when it quietly destroys it.

Harvard Business Review has written about this extensively, yet most leaders still get it wrong. Transparency isn’t about saying everything. It’s about saying the right things, at the right time, in the right way. And yes — even seasoned leaders make mistakes here.

You’ll learn the moments when transparency is non-negotiable, when it becomes dangerous, and why emotional intelligence is the leadership differentiator in an AI-driven world.

If you lead people, even one person, this episode will make you a stronger, clearer, more grounded communicator.

In this episode:

• Why transparency is misunderstood and why “being an open book” is not the mark of a great leader
• The three moments when transparency is essential, especially during change, uncertainty, and low morale
• How silence creates more fear than truth and why employees assume the worst when leaders say nothing
• A real story from the field about acknowledging a sensitive cultural moment and why it built more trust than staying quiet
• The rise of emotional intelligence in the AI era and why EQ is becoming a leader’s competitive advantage

💬 Connect with Kim: linkedin.com/in/frostkim

🌐 Learn more: frostconnections.com