Leadership: Transparency, A Strength Or A Weakness?
No, I am not taking my turn in a leadership anonymous meeting, that is part of my conversation with one of my new hires. I believe in transparency and so far its worked for me.
Now if I said in front of a group of peers “I am a terrible leader” some might disagree and say “No, you care about your reports” or “Don’t say that I think you are good”. Even though I appreciate what they are saying, if my feelings are different, that is what I reflect with other people.
So far I have heard two schools of thought on this kind of transparency.
All communication should be transparent, we should all be open and support each other
Transparency is a weakness, to truly lead , you need to know what to hold back
I am not going to say that one is right and one is wrong, I am not going to claim that one will usher to where you want to be or give you a rockstar team, but I can share how transparency has helped me.
Why are some not transparent?
Some people are not transparent at all and some are opaque. What do I mean?
Some people choose to represent one persona to their employees while they may be the complete opposite on the inside. Imagine a person that reflects strength and confidence but on the inside, they are fearful of every decision they make. While I’m sure this is not common, I have seen it and I feel like that is no way to live, personally.
Sometimes this comes from a person worrying that in being open, people will take advantage of their weaknesses and use it for their own gain. Maybe they fear that it will affect their career or they will get passed over. No matter the exact reasoning many people have chosen to remain non-transparent.
Will someone try to use this openness to their advantage, possibly. But if we put up a front, its possible they would try something else if that is who they are.
Opaque people are somewhat transparent. They choose to be open at times but choose specific things to hold back. In this case, the things held back are usually vulnerabilities or personality flaws. I am not talking about holding back things they are not allowed to talk about or is not the proper time.
I want to be clear, being 100% transparent is nearly impossible. For instance, I am completely transparent with my reports when it comes to performance and what I/we expect, but there are certain subjects that we can be fully transparent about right away.
As an example, if you were in the position to have to lay off 5 people it might not be wise to approach that subject before you had all of the details. Talking about it right away may cause panic, but what if you were able to negotiate it down to 1 person. I believe you need to be transparent but you have to know the right timing for it.
Why do I believe in transparency?
I believe that transparency builds trust, I also believe that it can compensate for certain leadership deficiencies.
For instance, if I am not good at in an area of leadership, let’s say “mentoring” I believe that being transparent about that is a mutual benefit. It allows me to find a mentor for the individual that is beneficial for them without them thinking that I am too busy to do it myself, or that I don’t care. If I was not transparent I might try to get around the mentoring, or do it halfhearted which is a disservice to both of us.
Transparency puts people on a common ground which can make some leaders nervous. You have to be able to humble yourself to do it well. Being open and transparent means that you might have to show a part of yourself that you are not comfortable with. You will not be able to have the persona that you have all the answers all of the time.
I want my team to know that I am human, that I have accomplished what I have despite my flaws and that my personality defects are nothing to hide or be ashamed of. I also try to reflect that since we all have certain deficiencies, that is an opportunity for us to come together and support each other's weaknesses. To truly be a multi-faceted team.
What are the benefits of transparency?
Honest Communication
If we present ourselves in a certain way, say, as the strong leader that doesn’t make mistakes, what position does that put our employees in?
Are they willing to admit to mistakes?
Will they ask for clarification or will the pretend to understand?
Hopefully, we want them to be honest with us. As a leader, it is beneficial that we understand how our employees operate, where they need mentorship and how we can support them. I believe that they deserve the same from us.
I have enjoyed open communication. Knowing that we can each share concerns, worries, fears and that we will answer each other honestly has been a great benefit. This is especially nice during more stressful times in a companies history, it can help eliminate certain worries or at least get them in the open quicker.
Mutual Respect
As said before, I believe that having this transparency with my reports shows that I respect them in the same way I hope they respect me. I do not want to pretend to be something that I know I am not.
Ask yourself, do I find myself drawn to people who are:
Clearly trying to be something they are not.
Coming off as fake, like the stereotypical “used car salesmen”.
Overselling their abilities but underperforming.
If we are not drawn to these do we think that our employees would be? Mutual respect can go a long way especially when it is crunch time, or when we need to make that extra push.
Consistent Support
People are willing to go the extra mile for people they respect and who they believe respects them.
No man is an island
Whatever the job, we are in it together. No matter the situation we will get out of it together, not based on the merit of a single person.
A good leader will garner the support of their reports.
A great leader can garner the respect and support of their reports.
So what is it, a strength or a weakness?
The answer is up to you, who you are, and who you want to be. For some, this concept may seem to be a blocker in the way of their goals, and if they are truly uncomfortable with it then it just might be. If if you can accept it and live it, it might just lead to a better working relationship with those around you.
At the least, you will know what it is you need to work on in yourself.