James R. Rector
Publisher, Profiles in Leadership Journal
To prevaricate is to dodge the truth, to sidestep, to equivocate. Leaders who do it may not think they are lying, but they are not leading either.
In the workplace, prevarication often shows up in three ways:
- Avoiding tough questions with vague promises.
- Delaying clarity by clouding an issue.
- Deflecting responsibility with half-answers.
Prevaricating may feel safe in the moment, but it corrodes trust. Teams learn quickly when leaders will not give straight answers, and confidence in leadership erodes with every evasion.
Yet leadership is not always simple. Sometimes the truth itself can hurt. A layoff may be coming, a deal may be failing, or performance may be disappointing. Here the answer is not prevarication but care. Leaders should tell the truth they can tell, even if details must wait. They should frame the truth with compassion, showing respect for those who will hear it. And they should balance honesty with hope by sharing what steps are being taken to improve the situation. Honesty does not mean cruelty. It means clarity with compassion.
Leaders also face the opposite problem: when others on the team prevaricate. Dodging, evading, or fudging corrodes trust at every level. The best strategy is to recognize it quickly and respond. Name the pattern gently. “I noticed you did not answer the question directly. Can you clarify?” Ask follow-up questions to bring the truth to the surface. Explain the impact. “When answers are unclear, it slows everyone down and erodes trust.” Finally, set expectations: “I expect straightforward communication. That is how we solve problems.”
At home the lesson applies as well. Children and partners recognize evasions faster than we think. They crave clarity, even if it is imperfect. Saying “We cannot do that now, but we will try later” is far stronger than excuses.
Truth is the currency of trust. A leader must spend it wisely, never hoarding it and never counterfeiting it. Speak truth with compassion and insist on it from others, and your leadership will never lack credibility.
The 3-Minute Leader™ is a weekly series designed to give aspiring leaders practical insights they can apply at work and at home.
James Rector
James Rector is the founder and publisher of Profiles in Leadership Journal, a publication that has honored over 2,500 leaders in its 27-year history. His work focuses on spotlighting individuals whose character, courage, and quiet consistency shape the future of leadership.
