Are We in Trouble? Say It — Then We Solve It Together

Tell Me the Truth

That is why one of my most important leadership principles is simple:

Tell me the truth instead of telling me what you think I want to hear.

It sounds obvious, but in practice it is one of the hardest things to make work. People want to be good. They want to seem positive. They do not want to create concern. They do not want to disappoint the manager, the project leader or the client. So they say things that sound good in the moment.

“It’s fine.”
“We’ve got it under control.”
“I’ll fix it.”
“It’s almost done.”
“It will work out.”

But what do those words mean if nothing happens afterwards?

In a production, they mean nothing until they lead to action. It is not what you say that matters. It is what happens after you have said it. If someone says, “I’ll get back to you,” but never gets back to you, that was not communication. If someone says, “I’ve got it under control,” but nothing is prepared when it matters, then there was no control. If someone says, “It’s done,” but it cannot be checked, used or delivered, then it is not done.

This is where the difference between talk and responsibility becomes clear.

When the Right Words Lead to Nothing

In many modern workplaces, people have become skilled at saying the right things. They know how to sound professional. They know which words work. They know how to signal that they are solution-oriented, engaged and positive. But productions are not built by phrases. They are built by actions.

This is especially noticeable among many young people today, although of course it does not only apply to the young. Many have grown up in a culture where the goal is to give the right answer, show the right attitude and say what is expected. They say what they think you want or need to hear. It creates calm in the moment. They sound as if they understand, as if they have control, as if something is about to happen.

But then you see the result.

Nothing.

No follow-up. No delivery. No change. No solution. No movement forward.

Then you understand that the words did not mean what you thought they meant. They were not confirmation of responsibility. They were a way of getting through the conversation.

Truth Must Move in Both Directions

But we also need to think further. It is not enough to place all responsibility on the people on the ground, the young, the inexperienced or those at the bottom of the organization. Truth must move in both directions. The person carrying out a task must dare to explain what the situation really is. But the leader must also be able to provide information that people understand, can carry and can act on.

A leader cannot communicate at their own level to people who are not yet at that level.

That is a crucial point.

An experienced production manager may be able to say three words to an experienced stage manager, and the stage manager understands the whole picture. They have both been there before. They understand the risks, the timeframes, the people, the flows and the consequences. But the same three words to a new volunteer, a young assistant or someone without experience can be completely unclear. The information may be correct, but still useless.

That is why a good leader must be able to shift language.

Not only between Swedish, English or Bulgarian. But between different languages of experience.

The Language of Experience

To an experienced person, you can say:

“Make sure the backstage flow works before doors open.”

That person may immediately understand what is meant: pass control, artist routes, crew access, catering, security, load-in routes, communication, signage and staffing.

But to an inexperienced person, you may need to say:

“Your task is to stand here. When someone arrives with the correct artist pass, you let that person in. If someone does not have a pass, you call me. Do not leave this position without telling someone. If you are unsure, ask immediately. It is better to ask one question too many than to make the wrong decision.”

It is essentially the same task, but on different information levels.

This is the leader’s responsibility.

Leadership is not saying something in a way that shows how much you know. Leadership is saying it in a way that enables others to act correctly.

“But I Told You” Is Not Leadership

It is easy for experienced people to forget how much they see automatically. After thirty years in production, you see problems before others even understand that there is a problem. You see where people will get stuck, where logistics will fail, where someone will misunderstand, where safety may become weak and where time will disappear. You read the site, the people and the flow without even thinking about it.

But a young person does not always see that. Not because the person is stupid. But because the experience is not there yet.

That is why, as a leader, you cannot simply say: “But I told you.”

The question is not whether you said something.

The question is whether the receiver understood what must be done, why it must be done, when it must be completed, what responsibility the person has and what happens if the task is not carried out.

That is a big difference.

Many leaders believe that information has been delivered simply because they have spoken. But information has not been delivered until it has landed. And you only know that when the receiver can act correctly.

That is why clarity is a form of respect.

Giving an unclear instruction and then getting angry when someone does it wrong is not leadership. It is convenience from the leader’s side. It is placing responsibility on someone who may never have had a real chance to understand.

Checking Understanding Is Responsibility

A good leader must therefore dare to ask simple questions:

“Have you understood?”
“What is the next step?”
“What do you need in order to do this?”
“Is anything unclear?”
“Can you repeat back what you are going to do?”

The last one is important. Not as control or humiliation, but as safety. People often nod. They nod to be polite. They nod because they do not want to seem stupid. They nod because they believe they have understood. But when they walk away, they may do something completely different.

In a production, checking understanding is not unkind. It is responsibility.

Truth requires clarity.

This means that the people on the ground must dare to say:

“I don’t understand.”
“I don’t know how to do this.”
“I need more information.”
“I have not done it.”
“I do not have enough time.”
“We are in trouble.”

But the leader must also dare to ask themselves:

“Have I been clear?”
“Have I adapted the information to the receiver?”
“Did I speak at my level or at theirs?”
“Have I given mandate, time and resources?”
“Have I checked that the task has been understood?”

Only when both sides take responsibility does communication work.

Reality Does Not Wait for Better Wording

In events, concerts and festivals, lack of information can become directly dangerous. Time is not abstract there. Time is physical. A gate opens at 5:00 PM. An artist goes on stage at 9:30 PM. A truck must be able to unload before the stage build can continue. A cable must be in the right place before the sound can be tested. A rig must be safe before anyone is allowed underneath it.

Reality does not wait for better wording.

That is why the information culture must be honest, fast, concrete and safe. It must be possible to say that something is not working. But it must also be possible to understand what is expected before you fail.

Unclear Communication Creates Passivity

This is a major problem in many organizations. People talk a lot about responsibility, but they do not always explain what responsibility means. They say to someone: “Take care of this.” But what does that mean? Should the person make decisions independently? Should the person report back? Should the person only investigate? Should the person execute? Should the person book, order, check, follow up or simply be present?

Unclear communication creates passivity.

An experienced person may fill in the gaps. An inexperienced person often remains standing there waiting, or does half the task, or does what they think the leader meant. Then the leader becomes frustrated and says: “Why did nothing happen?”

But sometimes nothing happened because the task was never made clear enough.

This does not mean that the people on the ground have no responsibility. On the contrary. The person who does not understand must also say that they do not understand. The person who is unsure must ask. The person who does not have enough time must raise the alarm early. The person who notices that something is going wrong must say so before it is too late.

But the leader must create a culture where doing so is allowed.

If people feel stupid when they ask questions, they will stop asking. If they feel punished when they deliver bad news, they will start hiding it. If they feel that the leader only wants to hear that everything is going well, they will say that everything is going well.

In the end, the leader has an organization full of people nodding.

And nothing happens.

Are We in Trouble? Say It

That is why I say:

Are we in trouble? Say it. Then we solve it together.

That may be the purest form of practical leadership. Not prestige. Not façade. Not everyone pretending that everything is going well. But a culture where the truth comes out in time.

Because it is rarely the problem itself that destroys a production. Problems always come. Someone gets sick. Something breaks. The weather changes. A delivery is delayed. A drawing turns out to be wrong. A subcontractor has misunderstood. An artist changes their mind. A permit is missing. An authority demands something new.

The problems are not the most dangerous part.

The dangerous part is the silence around the problems.

The danger is when someone knows something is wrong but says nothing. When someone hopes it will solve itself. When someone gives a positive picture instead of a true one. When someone is more afraid of appearing incompetent than of the consequences of others making decisions based on false information.

Then the leader loses the most important opportunity: the ability to act in time.

A leader can handle almost anything if the information comes early. But a leader cannot save what he or she does not know about.

Teach People What Matters

At the same time, a leader cannot demand truthful information from people who do not understand what is important to report. A young or inexperienced person may not understand that a small delay of thirty minutes can affect the entire chain. They may not understand that a missing cable, a gate facing the wrong way, a missing key or a forgotten contact person can create major problems later.

That is why the leader must teach people what matters.

That is also leadership.

Not just handing out tasks. Not just pointing. Not just saying, “Solve it.” But building understanding of the whole. Helping people see why their small part affects everything else.

A person standing at a gate may think the task is simply to let people in. But in reality, that person can affect safety, artist flow, audience pressure, production time and the entire backstage experience. A person responsible for coffee for the crew may think it is a simple service task. But a tired crew without food and coffee can lose focus, make mistakes and become irritated. Small things become big in a production.

It is the leader’s job to show that.

When people understand why their task matters, the chance that they take responsibility increases. When they only receive orders without context, they often become passive.

From Helicopter View to Ground Level

That is why a leader must be able to shift between helicopter perspective and ground level. The leader must be able to see the whole production, but also understand how the information lands with the person standing in the rain with a radio in their hand, wondering what the next step is.

That is an art.

And it is something many leaders lack.

They may know a lot themselves. They may know their industry. They may know their level. They may know their meetings, their plans and their systems. But they are not always able to translate that knowledge to people who do not yet have the same experience.

That is where the gap appears.

The leader thinks they have been clear. The team member thinks they have understood. But reality shows something else.

That is why follow-up is necessary.

Not to control people in a suspicious way, but to make sure reality is moving in the right direction.

“How is it going?” is not always enough. Many will answer: “Good.”

Better questions are:

“What has been done?”
“What remains?”
“What is blocking you?”
“Who are you waiting for?”
“When will the next step be finished?”
“What do you need from me?”
“Is there something you do not want to say but should say?”

That last question can be decisive.

Because sometimes people know that something is wrong, but they do not dare to say it until they are given an opening. A good leader creates that opening.

Handle the Truth Early

This does not mean the leader should carry everything alone. It does not mean that people can blame unclear communication every time they do not deliver. Responsibility goes both ways. But real leadership is about building a system where information does not get stuck, where people dare to speak and where instructions are clear enough to become action.

That is why good leadership also requires the leader to be able to handle the truth. If people learn that bad news leads to anger, humiliation or punishment, they stop bringing bad news. They begin to package the truth. They soften it, polish it and delay it.

In the end, the leader only hears what sounds good.

And a leader who only hears what sounds good becomes blind.

A strong leader must therefore distinguish between problems and concealment. Bringing a problem early is responsibility. Hiding a problem is irresponsible. Saying “I need help” is maturity. Pretending to have control when you do not is dangerous. Admitting a mistake early is professional. Hoping that nobody will notice is amateur behavior.

There must be a culture where people dare to raise their hand and say: “This is not working.” Not to create panic, but to create room for action.

In the event world, room for action is everything.

Five days before an event, a problem can be annoying. Two days before, it can be expensive. Five hours before, it can be chaos. Five minutes before, it can be a catastrophe.

That is why the truth must come out while there is still time to do something about it.

Information Is Respect

It is also a matter of respect. Giving correct information is showing respect for the whole organization. When you tell the truth, you give other people the chance to do their job. When you polish reality, you force others to work in the dark.

A stage manager who does not know that a delivery is delayed cannot re-plan. A production manager who does not know that staff is missing cannot call in support. A technical coordinator who does not know that the power is insufficient cannot find a solution. A project leader who does not know that the budget is breaking cannot prioritize.

Wrong information creates wrong decisions. Late information creates stress. Unclear information creates double work. Missing information creates chaos. Polished information creates false security.

And false security may be the most dangerous thing of all.

Because when everyone believes things are calm, they stop looking for risks. They build on assumptions. They make decisions that seem reasonable, but that in reality rest on the wrong foundation. Then reality catches up.

This does not only apply to festivals and concerts. It applies to every organization: companies, associations, project teams, authorities, start-ups, cultural projects and construction projects. Wherever people cooperate, the quality of information is crucial.

But in practical productions it becomes especially visible, because the consequences show immediately. You cannot hide behind processes for months. You get the answer directly.

Either it works, or it does not.

Words Must Become Action

This is also where experience matters. An experienced leader does not only listen to what people say. An experienced leader watches what happens afterwards.

Does the follow-up come? Does the decision come? Does the delivery come? Does the action come? Does the change come?

If the answer is no, then there was no responsibility behind the words.

But an experienced leader also looks at themselves. Was my instruction clear enough? Did I speak at the right level? Did the person understand the purpose? Was there a clear deadline? Did the person know who to contact if there was a problem? Was the responsibility real, or just a word hanging in the air?

That is the difference between leading and merely giving orders.

Anyone can give orders. Getting people to understand, act, follow up and take responsibility requires leadership.

This does not mean that people must be perfect. On the contrary. Good leadership is built on the understanding that people are not perfect. We miss things. We get tired. We overestimate our time. We underestimate difficulties. We think we understand even when we do not. We mean well, but we are not always enough.

That is exactly why the organization must be built so that truth can come out without prestige.

Demand and Care

“Are we in trouble? Say it.”

That sentence contains both demand and care.

The demand is: do not hide reality.
The care is: you do not have to stand alone in the problem.

But that sentence also contains a responsibility for the leader:

“If you do not understand, say it. Then I will explain it another way.”

Because leadership is not repeating the same information louder and harder. Leadership is finding the right path to understanding. Sometimes you need to simplify. Sometimes you need to draw. Sometimes you need to show it on site. Sometimes you need to walk beside someone. Sometimes you need to give a checklist. Sometimes you need to let go and allow someone to grow. Sometimes you need to step in before it goes wrong.

That is sensitivity.

That is experience.

It is also humility.

Because a leader who cannot adapt their communication risks creating the very problems they later complain about. If people do not understand, do not dare to ask and do not know what matters, they will give the wrong answers, make the wrong decisions or do nothing at all.

And then you stand there again.

With words that sounded good.

And the result: nothing.

Real Leadership Creates Responsibility

A team where everyone tries to look competent often becomes weak. A team where everyone dares to be honest becomes strong. Then competence can be used where it is needed. Then someone with experience can step in. Then resources can be moved. Then decisions can be changed. Then priorities can be adjusted.

That is how real productions are saved.

Not by everyone pretending that everything is under control, but by people telling the truth early enough and by the leader creating an environment where the truth can both be spoken and understood.

Prestige leadership says: “Do not come with problems.”
Real leadership says: “Bring the problem before it becomes a catastrophe.”

Prestige leadership says: “But I told you.”
Real leadership asks: “Did it land?”

Prestige leadership wants to hear that everything is going well.
Real leadership wants to know how things are actually going.

Prestige leadership creates silence.
Real leadership creates responsibility.

Safety Is a Production Factor

This may be one of the most important things we need to teach young people entering working life. Not because they are worse, but because many have grown up in a culture where surface, wording and self-presentation have become extremely important. They have learned to say the right things. But working life, especially practical working life, requires more than the right language.

It requires consequence.

Being professional is not always having an answer. It is being honest about the situation. It is getting back to people when you said you would. It is asking for help before it is too late. It is understanding that other people’s decisions depend on the information you give.

But it also requires leaders to learn how to speak so people can actually act. A leader must not fall in love with their own level. A leader must be able to go down to ground level, stand beside the person who is supposed to do the job and say: “This is the task. This is why it matters. This is when it must be done. This is what you do if something goes wrong.”

That creates safety.

And safety is not softness. Safety is a production factor.

Safe people ask earlier. Safe people raise alarms faster. Safe people dare to tell the truth. Safe people make fewer dangerous assumptions. Safe people become better at taking responsibility.

What Is True Right Now?

In a functioning organization, information is not administration. Information is the bloodstream. If the bloodstream is blocked, the body begins to die. If information is blocked, the organization begins to make the wrong decisions.

That is why leadership begins with reality.

Not with the vision. Not with the brand. Not with the hierarchy. Not with the titles.

But with the question:

What is true right now?

And the next question:

Has everyone understood what that means?

When you know that, you can begin to lead.

That is why I would always rather hear an uncomfortable truth than a comfortable lie. The uncomfortable truth can be worked with. The comfortable lie only makes us weaker.

So if we are in trouble, say it.

Not so anyone has to feel ashamed. Not so anyone can be exposed. Not so anyone has to feel like a failure. Say it because then we still have a chance.

And if you do not understand the task, say that too.

That is not stupidity. That is responsibility.

Because when the truth comes out, experience, creativity and action can begin to work. Then we can gather the team, move resources, rethink, rebuild, reprioritize and find the way forward.

That is what real leadership is about.

Not always being in control.

But creating a culture where the truth comes out early enough, where information is given at the right level and where control can be regained before it is too late.

Are we in trouble? Say it. Do you not understand? Say it. Then we find the solution together.