I have been reviewing my perspective on that recently.
Honesty comes easy for me. My ADHD has been a blessing, and a curse, in that regard. Over the years, I learned to just not talk in some situations or use "better words". (My brain-to-mouth filter is seriously underdeveloped still.)
There is the flip-side, of course. CEOs of large companies don't get rich by being honest. They don't seem to care. Their job is to lie to employees and shareholders, it seems.
Its funny, early executives learn a difficult part of your role is saying the hard truths out loud and helping to assuage the fears that come with them to motivate others. I feel at some point a company gets big enough that the mentality shifts to micromanaging the fear at the cost of all the rest.