In high-stakes leadership, the most expensive tax you will ever pay is the "Fear Tax." When a team feels it is unsafe to bring bad news to the C-suite, they begin to filter, polish, and eventually hide the truth. By the time a "Red Flag" finally reaches your desk, it has often grown from a manageable spark into a four-alarm fire. The root cause? Often, it’s a leader’s reaction to bad news six months prior. The Biology of the "Amygdala Hijack" Psychological safety is a biologi