--- description: Business Leadership Organizational Culture Transparency Team Communication Workplace Trust Psychological Safety Leadership Strategy Employee Engagement Corporate Culture Business Performance title: A Valuable Business Asset Can Be Teams That Share the Truth image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte58f7d6762022da0/6a3d0766c22a0c1864a17a61/image1_(6).jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # A Valuable Business Asset Can Be Teams That Share the Truth  Image credit: BrainTrust Image credit: BrainTrust _Are you getting the truth from your people or a whole lot of “yes” answers? If it’s the latter, building honest teams can be an important step toward scaling and long-term progress._ After becoming a senior leader, the people around you may begin to nod their heads whenever you suggest an idea. Although their agreement may seem to validate your expertise, you may actually be seeing an unfortunate side effect of the executive lifestyle: Most of your employees won’t tell you what they actually think. This isn’t a new phenomenon, of course. Founders and CEOs have joked for years about the way that people act as if everything they say and do must be followed. However, surrounding yourself with individuals who can only say “yes” to your thoughts isn’t going to help you or your company succeed. Many leaders benefit from people who act more like sounding boards than mirrors. That way, you’ll know when you’re on the wrong track — and you can make changes in your strategic directions before foreseeable and avoidable problems arise. But how do you encourage the people around you to tell you the truth so they can be assets? The answer is that you can’t, at least not entirely. Many employees simply won’t ever feel the level of psychological safety necessary to counter your suggestions. That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the benefits of being within a group of people who will give you their honest opinion, though. A few intentional steps can help create that kind of environment. **Join a peer-based mastermind group** As an executive, you may find it beneficial to be a member of civic groups, such as your local Chamber of Commerce. You might also consider sitting on a nonprofit board. Yet you shouldn’t limit yourself to supporting only those types of organizations. Instead, consider joining a curated community of executive-level peers. Why focus your attention on becoming an active member in a mastermind group that caters to senior leaders? For one, you’re more likely to get genuine, candid feedback from people who understand you and your role. Rather than feeling they have to say yes to you, they’ll be more likely to offer advice, share cautionary tales and hold you accountable. If you’d like a mastermind-type group that feels even more personalized, consider one that’s targeted toward specific executives. For example, BrainTrust offers a [networking community for women business owners](https://ourbraintrust.org/ "undefined"). After being placed in small-size “vaults”, BrainTrust members meet regularly to help each other become more financially stable as well as influential. It’s a practice that’s worked for many women who felt they needed more meaningful accountability and honest assistance to reach their goals. **Request feedback from your internal corporate peers** There’s no reason that the executive peers at your company should treat you like they’re spectators or loyal fans instead of your colleagues. Consequently, make it clear to other senior leaders that you’re fine with receiving critiques and don’t expect 100% agreement. If you’re the CEO or founder of your organization, you may even want to work with your executive team to help them find ways to get comfortable with having tough discussions. In fact, you could start a book club and spend time studying proven strategies for navigating high-stakes professional dialogue. These types of books are generally aimed at discussions between managers and their direct reports, but their messages can stimulate more openness between executive peers. By normalizing the practice of being honest with people at work, you can help reduce a lot of the worry many people associate with being “too real” with their coworkers. As an added advantage, you’ll find it easier to give valuable, credible and genuine feedback, too. Eventually, you should find yourself constructing an internal community that serves as a strong infrastructure and not just a source of inspiration. **Start building trust with people at work** Trust is an essential commodity that can’t be bought or sold. It only comes when you’ve earned it, so begin working on building trust with everyone around you on the job. How can you build trust? First, be a strong and reliable role model who isn’t afraid to ask for advice — and then take that advice. Secondly, show some vulnerability. Leaders who are comfortable admitting they don’t know it all often find it easier to build trust, provided they are genuine and show emotional intelligence. Finally, set up your organization to be an ecosystem where honesty is held as sacred. This involves discouraging retaliation by leaders who become offended when they receive pushback from peers or direct reports. The more your people see you as someone who values genuineness, the more genuineness you’ll receive. It can become challenging for a company to scale effectively if team members feel hesitant to speak openly. While it can feel good to hear, “You’re so right,” getting nothing but positive feedback isn’t conducive to growing a business that can actually thrive under tough, real-world conditions. Therefore, consider the positive impact it can have on your organization (and your career) when you willingly and thankfully accept the truth. 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