That was one of the phrases that came out of some work Maddie and I did with a client last week: painful clarity. As in, they needed to make sure that the team pushed through to clarity, even if the results were not always pleasant. Hey, nobody said leadership would be pain-free.

Most teams (and most organizations for that matter) plod through life in a state of hazy vagueness. It’s more comfortable, and it lets you focus in on that work you need to get done (hint: there will always be work to get done to allow you to avoid the hard work of clarity). But it robs you of potential.

Strong cultures won’t tolerate that. They push for clarity. They make choices and stand by them. They hold people accountable. They’re not afraid.

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