I’m sitting in the Boston airport, four hours into what was supposed to be an early morning flight home. Here’s how it’s gone so far:
We boarded the plane.
We deplaned after a maintenance issue was discovered.
Since then, we’ve had the same vague announcement—“waiting on updates”—every hour or so.
The departure time has slipped four times.
And then something changed.
We were told exactly what was going on:
A replacement part is on its way from another airport. Here’s the flight number. It’s landing at the gate right next to us. Want to track it? Go ahead.
I immediately felt better—not because we were leaving soon, but because I finally understood the situation.
It was a reminder: in moments of uncertainty, information is power. But more than that, it’s comfort. It’s trust. It’s leadership.
We don’t need every detail. But we do need to know that someone is thinking clearly, tracking the issues, and willing to let us in on what’s real.
And thanks, Delta gate agents!
For leaders, this moment at Gate A7 felt familiar.
How often do we wait to communicate until we have a solution, rather than sharing where we are in the process?
In my work with executives, I see this all the time. Teams can handle delays. They can handle ambiguity. What they can’t handle is being left in the dark.
What looks like a communication problem is usually a context problem. The information exists. It just never got transferred, because the person holding it was too busy handling the delay to hand any of it over.
Transparency doesn’t have to mean certainty.
It means: Here’s what we know. Here’s what we don’t. Here’s what we’re doing next.
That’s what builds alignment. That’s what builds trust.
The next time your “flight” is delayed, what will you tell your team?