We had a record April. The quarter before that was brilliant. And I still sat the whole team down and told them the business was going to have a serious cash flow problem by September.

That decision changed everything.

In this video I talk about what happened when we chose complete transparency with our team during one of the hardest periods we had ever faced as a business. We didn't have to do it. We chose to. And the way every single person responded made me genuinely proud.

There's something important here for any leader who has been in that position where the numbers are heading the wrong way but you don't want to panic anyone. The instinct is to protect people by keeping them in the dark. I've come to believe that's completely the wrong call.

What you actually need is the kind of culture where honest conversations are normal, not just in a crisis, but every single week. We had spent over a decade building that at Green Element, and when the moment came, it held.

If you're leading a team through uncertainty right now, whether that's financial pressure, a restructure, or something shifting underneath the business, I hope this helps.

Subscribe for more practical, honest content on leadership, sustainability, and building businesses that last.

#Leadership #BusinessTransparency #SustainabilityLeadership #TeamCulture #NetZero

Mentioned in this episode:

Keep informed on Sustainability News

I'm Will Richardson, Head of Ecosystems at 51toCarbonZero and a sustainability advisor with 25 years in the field. I founded Green Element in 2004 and spent two decades building it into one of Europe's most respected sustainability consultancies before it merged with 51toCarbonZero in November 2025. Climate action is both an obligation and an opportunity, and that's the thread running through everything I write here. I co-created Compare Your Footprint, carbon accounting software recognised as a key player in the Global Carbon Accounting Software Market, and I'm a Fellow of IEMA and a Chartered Environmentalist. Each week, I break down what's actually happening in sustainability: the data, the regulation, the greenwash worth calling out, and the practical steps businesses can take right now. No jargon, no doom-mongering, just clear thinking for people who need to make real decisions. I also host the Sustainability Solved podcast with Charlie Luxton, 200+ episodes and counting, where we talk to the people building the solutions. Based in Scotland. Writing for business leaders who want sustainability to make commercial sense, not just moral sense.

My Personal Substack

UPCOMING WEBINAR: The Scope 3 Blind Spot: What Your Supplier Data Isn't Telling You

Scope 3 emissions are often the biggest contributor to an organisation’s carbon footprint, yet many businesses are making decisions based on incomplete, outdated or estimated supplier data. In this webinar, we’ll explore the biggest blind spots in supplier emissions data, why they matter for reporting and decarbonisation, and how leading organisations are moving beyond spreadsheets and assumptions to build a more accurate, scalable approach to Scope 3. LIVE ATTENDANCE BONUS: complimentary gap audit of your top 10 suppliers. Wednesday 16 September | 1pm BST https://www.51tocarbonzero.com/webinar-supply-chain/

September Webinar