The Open Line

Honest conversations. Real presence. Leadership people want to follow.

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The cost of silence.

We’re in the middle of a bathroom remodel. This one crept up on us as we watched the space between the floor and the door get wider and somehow go slanted?

The cracking floor tiles and chunks of grout popping out every few months just added to the signals that something underneath was undone.

As the demo began, trouble was revealed with the removal of each broken floor tile.

Tearing up the terrible tile underlayment revealed another floor covering - awful fake vinyl from the 1970s.

Prying that slowly prepared us for yet ANOTHER level - the original hardwood floor. Or at least what we thought was the original hardwood - it was so dark, wet and disintegrated, we weren’t even sure until it was removed.

But as we did so, the culprit for the chaos was uncovered: a slow leak in the plumbing. And not the nice, clean water side of the plumbing, but the side of plumbing you want away from the house as soon as possible. Every time we flushed the commode, some of it seeped into the floor…. for decades.

(OMG - I hope you’re not reading this while eating!)

But what really caused the damage wasn’t the leak itself — it was how long it went unseen.

Seepage is a dirty rotten scoundrel. It’s slow, silent, causing floors to rot and foundations to crumble.

That’s how it goes at work too, isn’t it?

The slow drips of miscommunication, the unspoken assumptions, the polite nods that mask confusion — they all start to pool underneath the surface.

By the time we see the cracks, it’s not a broken tile. It’s a foundation issue.

And the cost? Trust.

Every time a message gets muddled, a goal gets missed, or a team loses steam, trust gets eaten away with what I call the seepage of silence.

Collaborations, high-stakes conversations, corporate boardrooms all are fertile fields for this seepage. These are where we’re expected to be polished and perfect, so we often stay silent even when there are moments of confusion - scratch that - especially when there are moments of confusion.

Your keen eye and thoughtful approach are needed in times like these, to stop the seepage.

Ask the questions nobody’s asking. Clarify what others are tiptoeing around. Name the leak.

Because the moment you do, you stop the seepage. And that’s when trust begins to rebuild itself.

It’s the leaders who hold trust at a premium that are leading innovation, engagement and growth.

They know - YOU know - clarity and connection are building blocks for trust - without them teams, projects and organizations are destined to be condemned.

So the next time you see silence start to seep into a project or team, lean into your connection skills:

1. Listen with intent. Not to reply or defend, but to understand what’s really at stake.
2. Reflect what you hear. Repeat, reframe, clarify — let others know they’ve been seen.
3. Build on it. Tie your insights back to what matters most to the team. That’s how clarity compounds into trust.

These will bring to light any rot before it has a chance to ruin the foundation.

And when you’ve had enough of DIYing a communication remodel, bring in a ‘contractor.’ That’s my work: helping thoughtful leaders create clarity, connection, and confidence so they can earn influence, trust, and traction. Reply and I’ll send a quick menu of ways we can shore up your 2026 foundation—fast.

To put this into practice, here are a few quiet signals to reflect on…

Quiet Signals

(Try these as journaling prompts)

• Where is silence costing me right now? (List 1–2 conversations or decisions stuck in “polite nod” mode.)
• What’s the smallest clarifying question I can ask to name the leak without blame?
• What priority (theirs, not mine) can I anchor to when I reflect and build?
• Finish the sentence: “Trust would increase if I consistently ___ in meetings.”
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Signal Boosts

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Hi there! I'm Jackie. I help thoughtful people turn clarity + connection into the kind of leadership others want to follow. ​LinkedIn Website​