🤐 Did you know that keeping a secret makes you dumb(er)?

In an experiment, people were told that they were not allowed to use the word “breakfast” or “therefore”. When they then had to solve a series of tasks, their cognitive performance plummeted.

Focusing on not spilling the beans occupies your brain – and it isolates you. “Secret keepers” actually felt bad. Unresolved issues create shame, guilt and anxiety which your brain can chew on over and over.

While of course not all secrets should be told, opening up helps us and makes our relationships happier and healthier. In leadership, empowerment hinges on sharing information to allow people to make their own informed decisions. But that requires trust and an new concept of leadership. It’s no longer about hording information (and deriving power from this) but about sharing and enabling.

👉 What keeps you from sharing information with your teams?

Source: Michael Slepian – The Secret Life of Secrets