Toxic Team Talk Replay: When They're Lying To You
Let’s shift the power from lies… to leadership
🌪️ When the Truth Gets Twisted: A Leadership Story
There was a time when Anna, a passionate child care director, felt like she was walking through fog every day. She loved her team. She believed in them. But something felt... off.
She’d ask a team member, “Did you have your phone in the classroom?”
They’d smile and say, “Nope!”
But there it was—under a bra strap!
Another time, someone called out sick. Again.
But later that day? A “brunch with besties” story on Instagram.
It wasn’t just the lies themselves.
It was the confusion they caused.
The second-guessing.
Was she being too harsh?
Too soft?
Was she imagining it all?
Worse still, other team members started whispering about what was “really” happening. The vibe changed. Trust cracked. Morale dropped.
Anna started to question everything—including herself.
🤯 The Turning Point: When Your Gut Knows What Your Brain Can’t Explain
One day, after another situation left her baffled, Anna sat down and got quiet. She tuned in—not to the noise, but to her gut.
And it said: “Something isn’t right. And it’s time to stop pretending it is."
She realized that all the confusion wasn’t just about their lies—it was about her silence.
Her sugar-coating. Her tolerating.
She had been avoiding hard conversations, over-explaining things, and hoping problems would just “work themselves out.”
She wasn’t just witnessing dishonesty. She was enabling it.
🔍 So She Got Clear… Really Clear.
Anna wrote down all the kinds of lies that had been circulating:
“I’m sick” (but you’re out shopping)
“I cleaned up” (but toys are sticky and garbage is sitting there)
“I reported that to leadership” (when you didn’t)
“I didn’t see anything happen” (when you're just trying to avoid drama)
“No, I didn’t use my phone!” (while texting int the closet)
Exaggerating issues or accomplishments to get sympathy, avoid work, or gain recognition.
She defined lying for her team:
âť—“A lie is anything said or left unsaid that distorts the truth—this includes hiding information, exaggerating, downplaying, or omitting key details.”
She asked the hard question:
Why do we lie?
-->To avoid conflict.
-->To be liked.
-->To avoid consequences.
-->To keep the peace.
And then she realized: peace built on lies isn’t peace at all.
✨ Her Leadership Glow-Up
Anna created a brand-new section in her employee handbook called:
“Honesty in Action: Building Trust Through Truth”
She shared her story. Her realizations. And most importantly—her new expectations.
Then, she added creative consequences that didn’t just punish—but taught:
Caught lying about a sick day?
You help with coverage next week and attend a check-in about dependability.
Skipped reporting an incident?
You complete a refresher and create a best-practice guide for the team.
Said you cleaned, but didn’t?
You shadow a coworker who’s a cleanup rockstar and learn from their method.
But Anna didn’t stop there.
She modeled honesty herself.
She stopped sugar-coating feedback.
She gave direct support when people struggled.
And she asked for feedback about her own blind spots.
People started coming forward with their mistakes.
Owning up to mishaps.
Supporting each other instead of covering things up.
The fog lifted. Clarity returned. And with it—something she hadn’t felt in a long time…
Peace.
Space to dream again.
Sleep that wasn’t interrupted by dread.
Laughter in the break room.
🚀 And Then She Reinforced her new culture that was evolving…
She made Julie’s Positively Professional training part of every new staff member’s onboarding process.
It’s included in the Happy Together Membership, and it helped her team understand the emotional WHY behind workplace honesty.
It wasn’t about rules.
It was about respect.
It was about being the grown-ups we want our children to become.
Ready to begin your Transformation?
If this sounds like the shift you’ve been craving, come join us at
👉 HappyTogether.Team
You don’t have to lead in confusion anymore.
There’s a community, a strategy, and a clear path forward waiting for you.
đź’› You’re not alone—and your team can transform.
You can feel happier than ever as you lead your team to accomplish great things!
