Leading with clarity

Leading with clarity. This is the final episode in our three-part series on care, curiosity, and clarity. We've already looked at care, empathy, listening and recognising people's differences and curiosity, why it's the leader's secret, weapon, and now clarity is what we're going to be talking about on today's episode of How to Lead the podcast for CEOs, founders and leaders who want clear, practical tools that help them lead well, so their teams thrive and results follow.

I am Kate Waterfall Hill, a leadership coach with hands-on experience of leading numerous agencies and consultancies for over 30 years. If you like my take on leadership, but would like more support to actually put my ideas into practice, have a look at my website.

There's lots there to help you take the next step. In fact, one of our leadership accelerator members told me this week that she joined the program for exactly that reason. She loved the podcast, found it full of great ideas, said she couldn't believe the value I give away without charging for it. But she realised that in her own organisation, with all its quirks, changes, daily nuances and people dynamics, she needed more live support.

And that's why she joined, not just for the content, but for the accountability. The guidance. And the group of people going through similar challenges. So if that sounds like you, do head to my website, waterfall hill.co.uk and see how we could work together. So this is the final episode in the three-part series on care, curiosity and clarity, as I said.

If you've been listening to this podcast for a while, you might remember that I've already covered clarity in my four Cs series. That episode laid out the foundations why clarity matters, what people need. Clarity about vision, goals, roles, expectations, and progression, and some of the common clarity killers. But today's episode builds on that. Think of this as the advanced class on clarity. We'll explore how to delegate with real precision using a practical framework. Make your decision-making process transparent.

Lead with clarity during times of crisis, use clarity to build psychological safety and embed clarity through simple team rituals. at the end, I'll tie the whole series together showing why I end every podcast with the line. Until next time, if you want to be less like Linda, keep leading with clarity, care, and curiosity.

So let's take a look at what Linda has to say

“Hi Jason. Thanks for picking up. I just wondered whether you could get on with that pitch document for the client with a blue logo, um, the one we did last year. I think just make some tweaks to it, make it look a bit more fresh and I'm sure it'll be fine. I haven't really got any specifics to tell you what success looks like.

No, but I'll know it when I see it. I know you are always asking for a clear brief and you think clarity is everything, Jason, but you're gonna have to work it out for yourself. I know you can't read my mind, but you should know what I mean. You know, I'm trying to empower you here. Just work it out. Would you, Jason.

And I'll soon let you know if it's not quite right, don't you worry about that. I know I'm a bit fussy about the details sometimes, but you know, Hey, ho”

Great stuff. I'm sure we can do better than that. So let's get going. Part one, why clarity matters. A revisited version. We covered the basics last time. Without clarity, people get confused, disengaged, or pull in different directions, but there's another dimension. Clarity is not just operational. It's emotional. When people have clarity, they feel grounded, secure, and empowered to make decisions.

Without it, they feel anxious, defensive, unsure whether they're doing a good job or not. So clarity doesn't just save time. It actually saves energy. It stops people wasting emotional bandwidth on second guessing. That's why leaders who are consistently clear often have calmer, more resilient teams.

Secondly, delegation with clarity. The Port framework, PORT, one of the biggest clarity gaps that shows up in delegation. Leaders assume they've been clear, but team members often hear something completely different. So here's a framework that might help - PORT. It stands for purpose, outcome, responsibility, timing.

So the first thing, the purpose. Why are we doing this? Secondly, identify the outcome. What does done well look like? Responsibility. Who owns which part? And I really like the word own and ownership. It really makes it clear who's expected to step up and do the job.

And then timing, when is it due, and what check-ins will happen along the way.

So for an example, you might need a client presentation. So that's the purpose. Then the outcome, it's a 10-slide deck tailored to their needs. You'll need the draft and I'll review. So you set out the responsibility then you clarify the timing. Let's have a first draft by Monday, final by Thursday.

So really clear. That's compared with a vague brief of can you sort a client presentation.

This version just leaves too much room for interpretation and assumptions. and assumptions are where rework and frustrations live.

Thirdly, decision making modes because clarity isn't just about tasks, it's about how decisions are made. Leaders often switch between consultation, consensus, and delegation without saying which they're using. there are three modes which I suggest you actually declare upfront so people know what's coming.

One is consultation, I'm going to decide, but I'd love your input. Secondly, consensus. Hey, let's decide or co-create this together. And thirdly, delegation, you decide and I'll support you. If you've already decided, don't pretend it's consensus, and if you're consulting, say what you're going to do with the input.

Transparency here avoids frustration. Then part four is clarity across teams and functions. Because clarity isn't just a one-to-one skill. It's even more critical when work cuts across functions. How many times have you heard, oh, I thought marketing was handling that, or we assumed finance had it signed off.

Cross-functional clarity requires some concentration, so let's have a look. Shared goals. What's the collective outcome? what can we agree on that we're pushing for together? And then define the roles, who owns what, especially when it comes to handover time, decision rights.

Who has authority to say yes or no? And consistent language. Do we mean the same thing when we say it's launch ready? For instance, I so often I see friction between sales and delivery. Salespeople often promise the earth because that's what they've been told to do, to get the sale and then delivery feel that they're set up to fail. so introducing something like a checklist, maybe a contract ready checklist, which is agreed by both sides in its formation.

And this can help clarify what can and can't be promised. So the tension tends to ease and trusts rises. Clarity prevents silos from turning into battlegrounds.

Part five is all about clarity in crisis, because in a crisis, clarity doesn't mean pretending to know everything.

It means being honest about what's known and unknown. a simple formula here. Three steps. Firstly, here's what we know. Secondly, here's what we don't know, and three, here's what we're going to do next, and when we're going to update you.

You might've heard me talking before about the New Zealand Prime Minister during COVID. Jacinda Ardern was brilliant in her pandemic briefings. She was direct, empathetic, and transparent about the uncertainty and that style built public trust.

And in organisations, the same principle applies. People handle tough news better than they handle silence.

Part six then is about clarity and psychological safety. Clarity is one of the cornerstones of this principle. When people know what's expected and how mistakes will be handled, they're much more likely to speak up. So if you say something like, we'll treat mistakes as learning opportunities that tends to surface issues early.

But if you are vague, they'll hide them away until it's too late. So clarity answers the unspoken questions. Am I allowed to raise this? Will I be supported or ridiculed? What happens if I fail? When those are answered clearly, creativity and, and innovation rise. Then we've got clarity in rituals as number seven.

Clarity sticks when it becomes routine. And here are some habits that you might like to embed. So have weekly priority reminders. Start team meetings with our three top priorities this week are… then have a decision log. So record key decisions, why they were made and what risks were.

This reduces the likelihood of going back on a decision and undoing it. Then have expectation grids, just two columns, behaviours we expect and behaviours we won't tolerate. This makes feedback easier and fairer.

Then do regular role refreshes, Review with each person what success looks like now, not 18 months ago. And have vision reminders. A one-minute recap of the bigger picture at the start of every month, and these rituals stop clarity being a one-off event. It becomes just part of the culture.

Number eight is leader self-clarity. Here's something that leaders often overlook. You can't give clarity if you don't have it yourself. So ask yourself, am I clear on my own top three priorities? Do I know the non-negotiables versus the flexibles? Could I explain in one sentence why we're doing this project?

Because if you can't answer confidently, then your team will feel the fog. Self-clarity is the starting point.

Part nine is avoiding the traps. As leaders, we sometimes confuse clarity with control, so three traps to avoid are over detailing. really resist the urge to do step by step. Micromanaging, disguising matters as clarity. It's not, it's over control. Number two, don't assume any clarity thinking I've said this once, so they must know.

It needs to be repeated and then inconsistent clarity, changing the direction without explaining why. Clarity isn't about being rigid. It's about being transparent. As always, I'd like to give you some reflection questions to have a think about.

So first of all, when I delegate, do I cover purpose, outcome, responsibility, timing? How clear am I in moments of uncertainty? Do I share what we don't know as well as what we do? Are our cross-functional roles and handovers explicitly defined?

And what unspoken rules in my team could I make clearer? and then lastly, where might I be overexplaining slipping into micromanagement.

And three practical steps for you to try this week. Use PORT when delegating a task In your next meeting, declare your decision-making mode upfront so people know what to expect. And then number three, create one small ritual of clarity.

Maybe it's a weekly top three priorities reminder.

A quick recap of today. Remember why clarity matters. Without it people get confused. Make sure that you delegate with clarity, perhaps using the port framework. Purpose, outcome, responsibility, timing. Be clear about what sort of decision-making mode you are in.

Is it consultation, consensus, or delegation? Also, make sure you've got clarity across teams and functions. That you are clear in a crisis, particularly that you create psychological safety by being clear about what's okay, and that you encourage people to admit mistakes and innovate and then have some rituals, some weekly habits some ways of recording decisions. Expectations, role refreshers and vision reminders. And then be clear yourself. What are your top priorities?

Now I suggest you go back to the reflection questions I asked and really have a proper considered, think about the answers and then take action. it's really important that not only do you learn these things on this podcast, but you actually put them into practice.

Now we've covered all three areas of care, curiosity, and clarity over the last three episodes. I'd love to tie it all together because each one of these is powerful alone, but together they form the foundation of intentional leadership.

Care creates trust. It shows people they matter as humans, not just as resources. Curiosity creates learning. It keeps you from rushing into judgment and unlocks better ideas. And clarity creates focus. It ensures everyone knows where they're heading and how to get there. If you lead with only one of these things, you might well stumble.

Care without clarity leads to comfort without progress. curiosity without clarity leads to endless exploration without action, and clarity without care leads to cold deficiency that burns people out. So that's why at the end of every episode, I use the same line. Until next time. If you want to be less like Linda, keep leading with clarity, care, and curiosity.

It's not just a sign off. It's a reminder that these three qualities tie all leadership skills together. Whatever the challenge, whether it's delegation, feedback, conflict, or strategy, you'll never go wrong if you apply care. Curiosity and clarity imbalance. That's all for today's episode of How to Lead, and this wraps up our miniseries on care, curiosity and clarity.

If you've enjoyed this episode or indeed the series, then do follow for more. There's a new episode every week. And if you'd like my personal support, take a look at my website, waterfall hill.co.uk. Please spare a moment to like, leave a review and share with your fellow leaders to help spread the word about the How to Lead podcast.

It makes an enormous difference. And until next time, if you want to be less like Linda, remember that the best leaders are clear on the vision, care about their people, and approach interactions with curiosity, not judgment. Thank you for listening.