Leaders understandably want to give the public good news now, whether saying it& #39;s under control, or it will soon be over, or the economy will roar back to life. This is a mistake. Be straight. "This is unprecedented. We cannot be certain." Trust people with the truth. 1/x

Why does this matter? Because to get through this, people must trust each other and their leaders. When leaders blow smoke, they erode trust. Bluntly stating hard truths fosters trust. 2/x

This was far more important to Churchill& #39;s success as a communicator than flowery rhetoric. Churchill never sugar-coated. He never promised better times were coming soon. He said it would be hard and nothing is certain: "No one can guarantee success in war, but only deserve it."

In sum, if it& #39;s bad, say it& #39;s bad. If you don& #39;t know, say you don& #39;t know. Nothing wins trust like honesty.