Answering when you can’t Answer
State secrets, confidential information, competitive analysis–you know the whole thing, and someone asks you a question about it. The butterflies start immediately. The person who asked is trustworthy, and you’ve been their leader for a long time. They know you know. You know that they know that you know. You can’t answer. You’ve been cautioned, warned even. Your hands are tied. Isn’t being a leader fun?
Try this answer on for size. "Sometimes it’s difficult to be a leader. One of the most difficult parts of leadership for me is when my responsibility to the members of my team comes into conflict with my responsibilities as a leader in our organization. This is one of those times. I will not be able to be as open with you now as I have in the past. That being said, I want you to know that I will tell you all that I can as soon as I can. I realize this puts a strain on our relationship as a team. I can only hope that my behavior in the past will allow you to trust my behavior now."
I know, it’s not perfect, but it’s the best I’ve ever been able to come up with. If you’ve found a better answer, please share it with me.