1. When the truth suddenly becomes unwelcome
There are moments in professional life that stay with you because they reveal so clearly what is broken inside an organization.
I remember a project steering meeting in one of my previous companies. The team had spent weeks working on a complex energy-industry concept. The analyses were clean, the facts clear, the conclusions unmistakable but unfortunately not encouraging:
The concept would not be economically viable, neither in the short term nor in the foreseeable future.
It was an uncomfortable truth, but a clear one. And that clarity was the whole point of the project. If something cannot deliver the expected commercial contribution, it is sensible - and necessary - to acknowledge that early and decide together whether and how it might still make sense to continue.
But then something happened that I will never forget. A board member - the highest-ranking person in the room - looked at the results and said:
"This can’t be right. These findings must absolutely not leave this room. They would completely jeopardize our external partnership."
I remember exactly how the atmosphere shifted. Silence. Uncertainty. Almost as if the project team had done something wrong. But they had done only one thing: their job.
2. Sugarcoating kills culture - instantly
In that moment it became clear: something is fundamentally broken here. Because when people in an organization are no longer allowed to speak the truth, you don’t just lose facts - you lose trust.
Sugarcoating has at least three immediate effects:
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It distorts decisions. If the truth cannot be spoken, no one can make good decisions.
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It destroys ownership. Why would anyone take responsibility if clarity is punished?
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It eats culture from the inside out. Openness doesn’t die slowly; it dies the very moment truth becomes unwelcome.
And one thing is certain: uncomfortable realities can be delayed, but they can never be talked away. They will always come to light. The only question is how much trust has been lost by then.
3. Why sugarcoating is tempting
In organizations, sugarcoating doesn’t happen out of malice. It happens out of fear.
Fear of reputational damage.
Fear of conflict.
Fear of delivering bad news.
Fear of “breaking” something.
Fear of the economic consequences.
But leadership means bearing that discomfort and refusing to let political caution ever be more important than reality.
4. Truth as a leadership tool
Strong leaders understand:
- Truth is not a risk - it’s a foundation.
- Clarity is not an attack - it's a service to the organization.
- Openness is not a luxury - it’s a precondition for collaboration.
Great leaders don’t aim for “good vibes,” they aim for good decisions. And those only happen when reality arrives at the table unfiltered.
5. My recommandation
Where in your environment is sugarcoating happening out of fear, harmony-seeking, or political prudence?
Which truths actually need to be spoken but are quietly pushed aside?
And what would happen if you spoke them anyway?
Because a culture can withstand many things but not dishonesty.
Sugarcoating works quietly, but it’s deadly.
Clarity sometimes feels harsh, but it heals.
