Hi {{first_name}}

On Monday I described the Defensive Mask: the unconscious fear-based pattern driven by a fear of judgement. The one that makes you justify, deflect, or shut down when someone challenges your thinking.

Many leaders I share this with say it doesn't apply to them. They ask for input. They welcome challenge. Their door is always open.

The research tells a different story.

According to a 2026 study by Turas Leadership, 90% of senior leaders say they wish their teams would share more constructive feedback. And yet only 27% of employees say their leader always encourages suggestions for improvement. Eight out of ten employees believe their leader has a flaw no one is willing to raise.

That's a significant gap between how leaders perceive themselves and how their people experience them.

The issue is rarely that leaders refuse input. It's subtler. Colleagues observe how you respond when a conversation becomes uncomfortable. They notice whether the person who raised a concern last month got thanked or quietly excluded from the next discussion. Over time, they learn which truths are safe to voice and which carry risk. They start editing accordingly.

This connects directly to the Defensive Mask. You don't have to shout down a suggestion to create silence. A slight shift in tone, a quick justification, a visible stiffening; that's enough. Your team learns to read those signals long before you're aware you're sending them.

The result is a leader who genuinely believes they're open, surrounded by people who have quietly decided it's safer to agree.

One question worth asking a trusted colleague this week: "What's something you think I need to hear that you've been holding back?"

Then wait. Don't respond. Just listen.

Friday: the edition that pulls everything together.

Best wishes,
Gavin