Calgary TELUS Convention Centre’s Post

The more responsibility you take on within an organization, the less truth naturally reaches you. People simply assume the CEO’s word is final. That’s why one of the most important phrases among my leadership team at the Calgary TELUS Convention Centre is this: “I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t tell you this.” When I hear it, I sit down and listen. Leadership is more than a title or a claim to authority. It’s about creating space for people to tell you the truth. And not the rosy-coloured picture they think you want to hear, but good, old-fashioned straight talk. Even when it’s hard to hear. Especially when it’s hard to hear. If you haven’t created that system among your peers, you’re missing out on one of the strongest checks and balances needed for accountable leadership. It comes down to the trust triangle—empathy, authenticity, and logic. Are all three firing in the conversation? When those three components are present between myself and my team, the truth rises to the surface. If not, I risk making decisions on half-truths, defaulting to authority instead of true leadership. And that kind of leadership trickles down through the organization. If I model defensiveness, my team will mirror it. If I model curiosity and an openness to being challenged, they’ll reflect that, too. It’s uninspiring, isn’t it? To follow a leader who always has to be right, shuts down dissent, and mistakes fear for respect. I often come back to a simple question: If someone took your title away, would people still follow you? Creating space for straight talk, trust, and vulnerability are not soft skills. They’re what separate leaders people have to follow from leaders people want to follow. The next time someone says to you, “I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t tell you this,” understand that it’s not a challenge to your authority. It’s a test of your leadership. The way you respond in that moment will say more about you as a leader than a title ever could.