leadership and power of transparency

Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.

— Oscar Wilde.

Leadership is a rare art. How many great leaders you can think of you worked with? Before answering that – what makes one a great leader ?

change is the only constant. way people think is changing very fast and same thing in a work place. Are these the days of utopia? Absolutely no. This is the age when people want and expect their leaders to be more human and less perfect and at times a bit vulnerable , regardless of hierarchy of rank. Trust and transparency has become popular workplace demands as the employees seek to be aware of what is real and true. people have grown tired of everyday surprises and seeking a greater clarity in thought and strategy . the more you keep the element of unknown in an employee mind you are loosing the trust of your employee at a rapid pace.

Do you know why one is more interested in a video blog now a days than reading a blog ? They want access to one’s facial expressions, eye contact and body language. People want to evaluate whether someone is acting or being genuine. People want leaders who can deliver balance between knowledge (the head) and the wisdom (the heart). What it means to a new generation leader ? To be more more transparent by communicating less over email and be more personally engaged with their employees via face to face or video interaction. This not only builds trust but loyalty and attitude that will ripple throughout the organization.

When the leader discusses with the team what he believes and what he thinks strengths and weaknesses of the team – it allows everyone to openly share the perspective and opinions and there will be healthy workplace created where the leader can strategically match people to handle certain assignments. This allows the group to mature together and find better ways to discover the right fit to deliver on performance expectations. A team is built ! 

It is also important to note with trust and transparency in the team relationships are built as openness can potentially avoid misunderstandings that can fuel unnecessary tension. When a problem is encountered and resolved together as a team, thats when a relationship truly beings to take a shape.

Be transparent , trust worthy, give clarity of thought, build a relationship, build a better team, solve problems efficiently.