The Power of Radical Clarity: Honest Feedback as a Catalyst for Growth

We say we want growth, but most people, and most workplaces, are not prepared for what growth actually demands: discomfort, honesty, and the discipline to confront what is not working. Instead, we get smiles. Vague encouragement. Meetings filled with buzzwords and unspoken truths. People nodding while quietly unraveling inside.

I have seen this across industries: finance, communications, tech. We claim we are building cultures of inclusion, empowerment, and excellence. But behind the curtain? We are avoiding hard conversations. We are prioritizing politeness over progress. And that avoidance costs us more than we admit.

We Fear Feedback Because It Demands Courage

We avoid giving real feedback because we are afraid. Afraid of offending. Afraid of being misunderstood. Afraid of stepping out of line. We have been conditioned to believe that telling the truth, especially in professional spaces, is a risk, a disruption, even a threat. But in reality, not telling the truth is the greater harm. Avoiding honest feedback creates a workplace culture built on assumptions, resentment, and mediocrity. And here is the part we do not like to say out loud: withholding feedback does not protect people. It keeps them small. It keeps them guessing. It stunts their potential.

Radical Clarity Is an Act of Integrity

Radical clarity is not cruelty. It is not a performance of power or superiority. It is not the sharp-tongued critique disguised as “just being honest.” That is not clarity, it is ego. Radical clarity is specific, measured, and intentional. It is rooted in authentic care, the kind of care that values someone’s growth more than your own momentary comfort. It says: “I see your effort. I see where it could be better. And I believe in your ability to do more.” Clarity without care is control. Care without clarity is avoidance. If we want people to thrive, we have to hold both.

The Research Is Uncomfortable but Undeniable

The evidence is clear. Study after study from Harvard, Gallup, and NYU shows that feedback-rich environments foster better performance, deeper trust, and higher engagement. Teams that communicate with clarity do not just survive; they adapt, innovate, and grow. But there is a catch: Feedback only works when it is real. Not sanitized. Not sugarcoated. Not buried in platitudes. Culture activation does not begin with a deck of values. It begins when someone says, with purpose, “Here is what I noticed. Here is how it landed. And here is what I know you are capable of.”

Belonging Is Not Built on Politeness

Belonging does not come from being liked. It comes from being known. Fully. And that cannot happen in a culture where everyone is afraid to speak up. When we train leaders, we do not need to teach them how to be nice. We need to teach them how to be brave. How to communicate with truth and care. How to give feedback that is useful, not just palatable. Because if no one tells you where you stand, how can you move forward? If no one trusts you enough to be honest, what does that say about the culture you have built?

What Radical Clarity Looks Like in Practice

Here is what it sounds like when done well:

• “This initiative is not landing. Let’s talk about why.”

• “You are doing the work, but you are holding back in meetings. What is in the way?”

• “There is a disconnect between your intention and the impact. We need to realign.”

It is clear. It is direct. It leaves room for dialogue, for nuance, for growth. It is not about judgment; it is about trajectory. When people know that feedback comes from a place of care and expectation, they stop fearing it. They start using it.

The Responsibility of Telling the Truth

If you lead people, whether as a manager, a mentor, or a colleague, you have a choice. You can keep performing civility. Or you can offer something better: clarity with care, honesty with intention, feedback that helps someone become who they are meant to be, not just who they are today.

And if you receive feedback? Listen. Do not rush to defend. Do not disappear. Ask yourself: What truth lives here? Then do something with it.

Say what needs to be said. Kindly.

We say we want excellence. We say we want equity. We say we want people to grow and belong. None of that happens without radical clarity. So say what needs to be said. Kindly. Directly. Unflinchingly. Because transformation does not come from comfort. It comes from the courage to speak truth and the care to stand beside someone as they rise.

📚 Further Reading on Feedback and Clarity

Stone, Douglas & Heen, Sheila. *Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well.* Harvard Business Review Press, 2014.

🌱 Explores the emotional and cognitive dimensions of giving and receiving feedback effectively.

Edmondson, Amy C. “Psychological Safety and Learning Behavior in Work Teams.” *Administrative Science Quarterly*, Vol. 44, No. 2 (1999), pp. 350–383.

🌱 Introduces the concept of psychological safety and its importance in team performance.

Grant, Adam. *Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know.* Viking, 2021.

🌱 Emphasizes the value of intellectual humility and feedback for growth and innovation.

Brown, Brené. *Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.* Random House, 2018.

🌱 Introduces the principle that “clear is kind, unclear is unkind” and stresses the importance of courageous conversations.

Center for Creative Leadership (CCL). “Creating Belonging at Work: How Leaders Drive Inclusive Culture.” CCL.org, 2023. https://www.ccl.org

🌱 Highlights the connection between leadership communication, belonging, and team performance.

Gallup. “What Drives Culture and Belonging at Work?” *Gallup Workplace*, 2022. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/395102/drives-culture-belonging.aspx

🌱 Research on the role of meaningful feedback and inclusion in driving employee engagement.

Finkelstein, Stacey & Fishbach, Ayelet. “You Don’t Really Want Feedback, Do You?” *Harvard Business Review*, January 2022.

🌱 Examines resistance to feedback and how to overcome it in organizational contexts.

© Susanne Muñoz Welch, Praxa Strategies LLC. All rights reserved.