Quite simply, servant leaders tell the truth.
Being truthful isn’t always easy. Sometimes you want to spare a person’s feelings, or avoid looking at your own weaknesses. But being a leader requires you to see things as they really are, so you can work to make them better. This means acting with honesty and integrity, and sharing feedback – both giving and receiving – in a way that fosters care and truthfulness.
Being truthful doesn’t give you license to be hurtful or reckless. In servant leadership, truthfulness is a way of expressing care for others.