Say what you actually think

Why this rule exists

A manager who softens every message into vagueness leaves their team to guess, and people guess anxiously. When you won't say the plan is risky, they still sense it, but now they also sense that you won't be straight with them. Withheld opinions don't protect anyone; they just move the uncertainty onto people with less information than you have. Clarity is a form of respect. Saying what you think, plainly and kindly, tells your team you trust them to handle the truth.