Drawing from his experience as both a former CEO and Cornell faculty member, Robert Newman explains why honest communication is essential for team success, emphasizing that truth telling requires sharing genuine concerns and values, even when uncomfortable. He argues that creating psychological safety for honest dialogue isn't just morally right, but practically necessary for building high-performing teams with deeper trust and motivation. Rather than forcing agreement, Newman stresses that the goal of truth telling is to foster mutual understanding and empathy among team members.