Donnica Hawes-Saunders believes true leadership begins with honesty, both with ourselves and with others. For her, transparency is more than the act of sharing information; it is the practice of creating clarity and building trust by revealing the “why” behind decisions. Vulnerability, in her view, is not weakness but courage—the courage to show up authentically, even when outcomes are uncertain.
In this article, she shares insights on self-awareness, compassion, and resilience to help others lead with integrity in both work and life. Her core belief is simple but bold: growth requires discomfort. If you’re never uncomfortable, you’re not truly leading.
How Transparency Turns Vulnerability Into Your Greatest Strength
We often admire leaders who seem to have every answer, every time. Yet the ones who make the deepest impact are those who embrace vulnerability and share it transparently. Far from undermining authority, openness becomes the cornerstone of resilient leadership. When leaders lean into vulnerability, they spark innovation, deepen loyalty, and cultivate cultures where people feel seen, valued, and safe to thrive.
My greatest teachers and mentors led with vulnerability. Their honesty built trust and pushed me further than I would have gone on my own. I performed better under transparent leaders, and I see the same transformation in my own teams. When I lead with transparency, people take greater risks, bring more of themselves to the table, and perform at their best.
Why Transparency Builds Trust
At work, people are drawn to authenticity. When leaders choose transparency, by admitting uncertainty, owning limitations, or inviting participation, they send a powerful signal: trust matters more than appearances. This simple choice shifts culture. Instead of guarding information or pretending to have all the answers, leaders open the door to honesty, dialogue, and shared responsibility.
Within teams, transparency becomes the fuel for candid collaboration and creative problem-solving. It dismantles silos, reduces second-guessing, and empowers people to contribute their full perspectives. Across organizations, it builds a culture of belonging and inclusivity, where individuals feel confident their voices will be heard and respected. Transparency is not just a practice; it’s an invitation for people to bring their whole selves to the table.
Most importantly, transparency lays the foundation for psychological safety, the belief that it’s okay to take risks, ask questions, and speak up without fear of judgment or retaliation. In environments where people feel safe, they innovate more boldly, engage more deeply, and consistently perform at higher levels. Teams become more resilient, morale strengthens, and trust compounds over time.
Transparency, then, is not a “soft skill.” It is a leadership strategy. It transforms relationships, accelerates progress, and turns ordinary groups into high-performing teams who believe in one another and in the mission they serve.
Transparency Turns Conflict Into Progress
Throughout my career, I’ve often been tasked with leading initiatives that weren’t universally welcomed. Representing controversial companies, industries, and brands, and helping them integrate into civil society in ways that are authentic and constructive, requires not only creativity but also the courage to challenge “the way things have always been done.”
One example was building an environmental sustainability partnership for a tobacco company client. Cigarette butts are the number one plastic pollutant in our oceans. Tobacco companies produced harm while environmental organizations bore the burden of cleaning it up. I saw an opportunity to co-create a more constructive path forward, one that combined real environmental progress with authentic corporate accountability, while still meeting business objectives.
The answer was rooted in openness. Change almost always sparks resistance, and this initiative was no different. Stakeholders on both sides worried that the idea of collaboration would disrupt routines, invite backlash, or collapse before it began. The “traditional” instinct might have been to present a polished front, acting as if every answer was already in hand. But that only breeds mistrust. Instead, I chose transparency. I named the challenges out loud. I admitted where I didn’t yet have answers. I invited input and encouraged stakeholders to share their concerns. That vulnerability shifted the dynamic. Rather than fueling doubt, it signaled respect. People recognized that I trusted them enough to be candid, and in turn, they trusted me enough to engage.
Something powerful happened: resistance gave way to dialogue. People who once pulled back began leaning in with ideas. Skeptics shifted into problem-solvers. The result was more than just progress on environmental sustainability; it helped restore organizational credibility and laid a stronger foundation for corporate trust. That momentum ultimately produced a series of meaningful policy partnerships, driving gains in public health and environmental protection.
This experience reinforced a lasting truth: resilience is not about pushing through resistance with a flawless façade, it’s about openness. When leaders meet skepticism with transparency and vulnerability, they transform opposition into collaboration and create the trust necessary for change.
Practicing Transparency and Self-Awareness Every Day
Transparency isn’t about one-time gestures. It’s about consistent habits that build trust over time. A few practices can make a lasting difference:
- Speak What’s Real. Say: “Here’s what we know, what we don’t, and what’s next.” Clarity reduces ambiguity and builds confidence.
- Admit Mistakes Quickly. Taking accountability without defensiveness models integrity and gives others permission to learn openly.
- Invite Feedback and Dialogue. Ask: “What are we missing?” or “What else matters?” Leaders who listen create teams that speak up, and those teams innovate faster.
Conclusion
In a culture that often confuses strength with perfection, I’ve learned that the opposite is true. The leaders who shaped me most weren’t the ones who always had the right answers; they were the ones willing to be real, with themselves and with others. Their transparency built my trust, and their vulnerability invited me to grow.
Today, I lead the same way. When I choose transparency, I see stronger teams. When I practice vulnerability, I see people rise. And when we put those two together, we turn performance into progress, and progress into change.
