When organizations face legal risk, they often assume the problem was poor documentation or ineffective leadership. In reality, those issues are usually symptoms of a deeper failure: a lack of clarity. Inconsistent leadership and weak documentation rarely occur in isolation; they emerge when expectations are unclear, conversations are avoided and performance standards are inconsistently reinforced.
Documentation, in these cases, becomes a checklist exercise, something completed to satisfy a process rather than to reflect real accountability. When leaders are clear about the root cause of performance issues and have a consistent system for coaching employees to success, documentation serves a very different purpose. It becomes a record of clarity, accountability and intent. Leaders cannot document or hold people accountable for expectations they never clearly defined, aligned to or reinforced.
The recent SHRM lawsuit offers a sobering example of what happens when clarity breaks down, even among respected and reputable organizations. As the year begins, it’s worth examining why clarity isn’t just a value, it’s a leadership requirement.
Clarity first, accountability second
If leaders aren’t clear about the situation, the desired outcome or the obstacles, accountability is impossible. Most leaders I work with struggle to articulate what’s really happening. And even when they can, they often view the issue through a narrow or reactive lens, reaching for quick fixes, outside coaching or policy enforcement to solve a problem that may not even exist.
This lack of clarity is frequently the result of inadequate training. Leaders are promoted for technical competence, not for their ability to think critically, communicate clearly or coach performance. Poor documentation often reflects this reality. If employees don’t know what success looks like, documentation won’t resolve the issue and may not protect the organization when conflict escalates.
Bottom Line: There is no accountability without clarity.
Clarity is a prerequisite for alignment
In the corporate world, “alignment” is a popular but misunderstood word. Alignment to what? A goal? A metric? A policy? A value?
Too often, organizations claim to be aligned with their mission and values, yet they behave in ways that contradict these principles. Leaders may prioritize documentation practices or legal defense strategies over leadership development, competence and trust. The result is performative alignment, characterized by polished language but inconsistent behavior.
True alignment requires intention and investment. It means allocating time and budget to train leaders how to think strategically, coach for competency and promote accountability without fear. When that alignment exists, documentation becomes a record of progress and expectations, not a paper shield designed to avoid the courthouse.
Bottom Line: Alignment without clarity is cosmetic. It looks good on the outside.
Clarity comes before courage
When leaders avoid performance conversations, the behavior is often labeled as a lack of courage. In reality, the issue is more fundamental: they lack clarity. Clarity is what gives courage its direction.
Managers consistently report that difficult conversations become easier once they are clear about what’s happening, what’s not happening, why it matters and how to communicate it. Without clarity, courage can become impulsive, and impulsive conversations create confusion rather than collaboration.
This lack of clarity shows up when senior leaders pressure managers to “just go have the conversation” without providing a framework or skill set. Fear becomes the motivator, fear of consequences rather than confidence in competence. Leaders need structure, not ultimatums. Courage grounded in clarity builds capability; courage fueled by fear creates damage.Bottom Line: Courage without clarity can lead to recklessness.
Clarity dissolves drama
Whenever you see a supervisor withholding feedback because the feedback will be perceived as bias, you’re witnessing leadership driven by fear rather than truth. When HR edits documentation to cover uncertainty or inconsistency, clarity is being replaced with concealment. Gossip, incivility, assumptions and legal threats are not isolated problems, but symptoms of unclear expectations and unspoken realities.
Drama thrives where clarity is absent. It feeds on storytelling, interpretation and silence. Clarity forces reality into the room. It stops speculation. It creates peace by naming what is actually happening — without heat or hostility.
As I’ve said since writing my book Stop Workplace Drama: clarity can change any experience. It cuts through confusion and replaces it with shared understanding.
Bottom Line: In all workplace drama, there’s always a lack of clarity.
Clarity is not an idea or a soft skill; It is a principle, a value and a leadership discipline. When expectations are clear, alignment follows, accountability becomes fair and courage becomes purposeful. When clarity is absent, even the best organizations are left managing consequences instead of performance.
The real leadership risk isn’t saying the wrong thing. It’s leaving the most important things unsaid.
Opinions expressed by SmartBrief contributors are their own.
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