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John Mattone Global
Mainline Executive Coaching ACT Podcast
Episode 346July 21, 2025

346: The Transparency Trap: How Manipulative Leaders Weaponize Openness

Rich BaronMaikel Bailey
Rich Baron & Maikel Bailey

Episode Notes

What can be one of the most insidious threats to organizational trust: the Transparency Thief. These are leaders who disguise manipulation as openness—soliciting vulnerability not to build connection, but to gain control.

Drawing from psychology, leadership studies, the fall of global organizations, and even Shakespeare’s Iago, we’ll explore how deceptive transparency undermines team cohesion, erodes trust, and damages culture. More importantly, we’ll share practical ways to spot these behaviors, rebuild integrity, and lead with true character. If you’ve ever felt burned by someone who claimed to “just want open feedback”—only to use it as ammunition, this episode is a must listen.

Join Rich and Maikel as they pull back the cover on the Transparency Thieves in this episode of Mainline Executive Coaching ACT.

Leaders, Lead Well!

Thank you to all of our listeners in over 100 countries and now, 1,000 cities worldwide, we greatly appreciate your support! We truly hope that what we bring to our listeners will improve your ability as leaders.

Mainline Executive Coaching ACT has been recognized by FeedSpot as one of the top Executive Coaching Podcast in the world based on thousands of podcasts on the web and ranked by traffic, social media, followers & freshness.

John Mattone Global: https://johnmattone.com/

About the Hosts

Rich Baron

Rich Baron

Chief Operating Officer & Master Certified IL Coach

Master Certified IL Executive Coach, Lean Six Sigma, 100% Customer Retention (2006-2019)

As JMG's Chief Operating Officer and a Master Certified Intelligent Leadership Executive Coach, Rich brings diverse expertise in cultural transformation, operational leadership, and coaching leaders from emerging talent to CEOs.

Maikel Bailey

Maikel Bailey

Master Certified IL Executive Coach

Master Certified IL Executive Coach

Maikel Bailey is a Master Certified Intelligent Leadership Executive Coach with extensive experience in executive leadership, cultural transformation, and emerging leader development.

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