Have you ever worked with someone who was very candid? If they saw something that they thought was a mistake, they would probably mention the mistake. If they saw you doing something that was ineffective, they might pull you aside and give you some feedback. In a meeting they might speak up with comments or suggestions. Some feel that candid people are often rude or less sensitive to interpersonal concerns. Is candor always good?
To answer that question, I looked at two different datasets. The first dataset was a self-assessment with 1,795 responses from across the globe. I created a candor index with items such as, “I tend to speak up when I have something to say,” and, “If I disagree, I usually let others know.” This self-assessment measured the extent to which leaders are bold. Bold leaders challenge standard approaches, have courage to make changes, and do everything possible to achieve goals. I found that candid leaders rated themselves as bolder.
In this assessment I also found that those who rated themselves as being more candid also indicated they:
- Were more willing to take risks
- Made decisions quickly and moved forward
- Moved at a quick pace
- Were more of an extrovert
- Were more confident
- Thought outside the box
- Were more social
The second dataset was a 360-degree assessment and contained results on 520 leaders with an average of 15 evaluations from managers, peers, direct reports, and others. We were able to measure candor with the item, “States his/her opinions honestly and straightforwardly, even when it is difficult or unpopular to do so.” We know that our 360-degree evaluations are much more reliable than our self reports. Looking at this data, we discovered that candor was an excellent predictor of leadership effectiveness. Note in the graph below that leaders with very poor candor (bottom 10%) were rated at the 20thpercentile on overall leadership effectiveness, while those at the top 10% were rated at the 80thpercentile.
To understand the impact of being candid I correlated the candid dimension against all the other behaviors in the survey. Not surprisingly, I found a number of items with strong positive correlations. These items give insight into behaviors that either enable a leader to act candidly or that candid behaviors seem to impact.
These behaviors are:
- Has the courage to make changes.
- When change is needed, can make change happen.
- Able to make decisions and move forward in the face of constant change.
- Addresses performance problems quickly and frankly.
- Able to make decisions quickly.
- Constructively challenges standard approaches.
- Makes decisions carefully on complex, high risks issues.
- Spots new trends and potential problems early.
In fact, the list of 39 other behaviors were all also positively correlated, and all were statistically significant.
This led me to the conclusion there appears to be no downsides to displaying candor that show up in large samples of data. However, having worked with and for some very candid leaders, there are a few rules to ensure that candor works best for you.
Rules for Using Candor Well
- Be aware of your culture and the culture of others. I have done a lot of work in different countries across the globe. It has become very apparent that leaders from the Netherlands and India generally have significantly more candor than leaders from the United States. I remember coaching a leader who was hired for his superior performance as a manager in India. The acquiring company was headquartered in the US. This leader who was now working in the US got some very negative feedback. In talking with him about the feedback he said, “I am confused! Everyone told me that in the US people were open and straightforward, but they are not.” I asked him what he meant by that, and he said, “When I see someone who is doing a poor job, I immediately tell them they are doing a terrible job and they get upset.” I asked where he delivered the feedback and he said, “Sometimes in meetings with other peers, sometimes at their cubical. Whenever I see poor work I let people know immediately. Evidently people in the US don’t like that.” This leader was learning some difficult lessons about candor and culture.
- Ask if people want some feedback. Having coached many people who received negative feedback about the way they gave others negative feedback, I have a recommendation that will always help. Rather than just delivering the feedback, simply say to the person that you have some feedback for them and would they like to receive that feedback. Personally, I have never had one person say, “No, I don’t want the feedback!” Once people give you permission they typically receive the feedback much better.
- Catch people doing something right. If you are a candid person, how often are you candidly giving people positive feedback versus negative feedback. Looking at Zenger Folkman’s data I discovered that when leaders have a strong preference for giving negative feedback and avoid giving positive feedback, it negatively impacts their leadership effectiveness. Get in the habit of giving others candid positive feedback and observations of what is going well.
Candid leaders can be much more effective as long as their candid feedback fits the person and the situation. Being candid is a very positive leadership trait.
