S1 E11: When No One Tells the CEO the Truth
Filtered truth causes false confidence.
In this episode of Brave Proximity, Marissa and Susan put the ultimate corporate elephant on the table: the myth of professional distance.
We’ve been conditioned to believe that leadership requires a sanitized, buttoned-up version of reality, but that distance is exactly what leads to "swirl," wasted revenue, and strategies that fail before they even launch.
We unearth the reality of "managing up" as a form of truth-filtering. When leaders demand perfection before a conversation can even begin, they aren't getting excellence—they’re getting high-paid avoidance.
The Myth of the "Buttoned-Up" Leader
We discuss why the "bull in the china shop" approach to truth-telling is actually a form of deep support for the business. Many leaders hide the real truth to avoid upsetting their superiors, but the most effective CEOs are those who demand "drafty work"—incomplete, messy, and honest ideas that allow for co-creation and early course correction.
“This is why you get paid the big bucks. It’s not to filter the truth; it’s to have the courage to walk through the hard ones.”
Brave Reflection
Are you sheltering your leaders or supporting them?
Ask yourself: What is the one "train wreck" you can see coming a mile away that you haven't brought forward because it isn't "perfectly mapped out" yet?
What would happen if you invited a stakeholder into your "drafty work" today?
Take the Conversation Further
Ready to stop filtering the truth and start leading with proximity? The S1 E11 Practice Guide is your tactical blueprint for "Managing Up" with courage and moving from performative perfection to high-impact "Drafty Work."
Download the S1 E11 Practice Guide: The Truth-Teller’s Toolkit
The "Rosy Glasses" Diagnostic: Identify exactly where you are sheltering your stakeholders instead of supporting them.
The "Drafty Work" Framework: 3 steps to invite leaders into the messy, incomplete middle of a project to prevent late-stage "swirl."
The Courageous Script: Verbatim phrasing to use when you need to be the "bull in the china shop" and deliver a hard truth before it becomes a train wreck.
“Every conversation is an opportunity. Stop shooting the messenger and start elevating the truth-tellers. If you want innovation, you have to get proximate to the failures that are possible before they happen.”
This is your cue to take off the rosy-colored glasses and start leading with the raw truth.
Stop performing the role of 'Professional' and start being a Partner.
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00:00 — The Filtered Truth: How managing up became a way to avoid honesty.
05:43 — The "Drafty Work" Reframe: Moving from perfection to co-creation.
10:47 — The Swirl Factor: The high cost of dancing through five layers of approval.
15:20 — False Confidence: Why the CEO's "pet project" might be a train wreck in disguise.
22:20 — Decision Triage: Pushing power down to the levels where the information lives.
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