Coach Leach never beat around the bush. Sometimes his delivery stung—it hurt. But it never harmed me.

As a player, I had other coaches who did the opposite. They avoided telling me the hard truth, sugarcoated things, or withheld information. In the moment, that felt easier. But down the road, it caused far more damage than the initial sting of honesty ever would have.

That’s where my guide as a coach came in: Hurt vs. Harm.

What you say might hurt in the moment—it might sting their feelings or cause discomfort. But if it’s for their highest good, and it won’t harm them, then it’s necessary to say. That’s truth. That’s honesty.

Think of it like this: You’re in a relationship that’s no longer working. Ending it will hurt at first—there’s no way around that. But in the long run, you aren’t harming that individual. On the other hand, if you avoid the conversation and drag things out, you may dodge the short-term hurt, but you cause long-term harm. That harm always cuts deeper than hurt.

This was Coach Leach to a T. Some of his words hurt in the moment, but I always knew exactly where I stood. His honesty never harmed me. In fact, it gave me a clear scope of the situation and allowed me to focus on what I could control.

Too often, this process is missed in coaching. I experienced the opposite as a player, and now I see it again with some of the clients I coach and the situations they’re in.

If you’re a coach, be honest. Give your players the respect they deserve. Shoot them straight. The same applies if you’re a boss—stop beating around the bush with your employees.

So use this as your gauge: Be honest. Will it hurt sometimes? Yes. But if it doesn’t harm them, it’s the right thing to do.

And if this resonates, there are more coaching and leadership tips like this in my book The Mind Strength Playbook — set to presale on September 23rd and officially release on October 24th.