How to become a transparent leader?

Lal FONSEKA Productivity Consultant, Brandix Lanka Limited

In the 21st century in which you and I are living, there are three management principles that all successful leaders adopt to uplift their companies around the world. Those are as follows;

1. Management by transparency

2. Management by wandering

3. Management by open-door policy

Though most of the true leaders around the globe use these three principles to develop their companies, in Sri Lanka hardly we find leaders of such qualities and caliber. Hence, I thought, this moment of time is the best time to discuss about these three principles. Today we will restrict our discussion to the first principle leaving the other two principles for the coming weeks.

Through my more than 20 combined years in leadership development and productivity improvement, I have learned that what distinguishes the outstanding leaders - the ones who inspire followers to dig deep and commit to the cause, the ones whose people are able to say, "I'd go to hell and back for my boss".

Leaders think they are overwhelmingly honest, but many followers think otherwise. In Sri Lanka, this is the most common situation. Transparent leaders sometimes do not to share information with their followers-perhaps because they do not yet have all the facts or because, for whatever reason, they are unable to tell-the unbreakable principle of honesty requires them to say so: "I can't tell you that right now, but here's what I can say." Overwhelming honesty should be delivered with respect and concern for others. Followers should not be left to wonder about hidden agendas. When leaders drive this core value down through their team, not only is trust built, but another fantastic result also can occur-followers become tolerant of not having all the facts.

When transparent leaders match their words and actions and do what they say they will do, they place a high value on their commitments. Promise keeping in leadership is not always clear-cut. Have you come across this kind of leaders in your organization? I am sure a majority will come out with a negative answer.

Sometimes leaders are forced to reconsider promises and disappoint followers.

Yet again, I have come across a large amount of employees who have been disappointed because of these low quality leaders. Those are the times when transparency is particularly important, because followers who understand the reasoning behind broken promises may be more accepting of the consequences.

We have all heard that life is "the" journey, and if life is the journey, then being a transparent leader is the journey of the successful leader. One of the most intriguing questions today is; are leaders born or made? Leaders are neither born nor made, they are evolved and developed. But here again, in most of our organization we see our leaders who are made and not evolved and developed. This is a very pathetic situation.

"Leadership is a process in which a person influences others to accomplish an objective and directs the organization. Leaders carry out this process by applying their leadership attributes, such as beliefs, values, ethics, character, knowledge and skills". Management positions give you the power to make decisions however; this power does not make you a leader, it makes you merely the boss.

The definition of "transparency" is to share all relevant information in a way that is timely and valid. Being transparent means sharing the reasoning and intent underlying your statements, questions and actions. For example, when you make a decision, you explain the reasoning by saying something like, "Here's what led me to make the decision this way." When you ask someone a question, you follow it by saying something like, "The reason I am asking is because..."

When you are transparent, you create better results and relationships because others understand your thinking. People always are trying to find the meaning of actions, especially leaders' behaviors. When you fail to be transparent, you increase the chance that others will come up with their own theories about your intentions and motives-theories that often will differ from yours. Share your thinking and you influence others to see things from your perspective while reducing people's need to invent stories about your actions.

Common to the best of leaders is the ability to use and deliver information creatively. This is the ability to raise relevant, thought provoking and insightful questions that separate leaders from everyone else.

Leadership is neither an art nor a science, rather a combination of both. It is an art form because it must continually change and evolve; requiring energy and creativity. It is a science because there are certain essential principles and techniques required to become a good leader.

A good leader empowers, motivates and inspires others to reach a common goal. In comparison, anyone can manage but to lead is a skill set that requires transparency of the leader. To become a transparent and authentic leader one must possess the leadership qualities of honesty, trust, integrity and loyalty. People like Jack Welch, Bill Gate and Sam Walton are the good example for the above qualities. Even in Sri Lanka, I have found a couple of leaders of this caliber through my long years of service.

Transparency is the ability to clearly see the relationship between oneself and one's environment. Transparent leaders recognize their strengths and weakness although; above all these leaders maintain self-identity, and know who they are and how their actions impact the actions of others. Transparency is the more personal and direct aspect of the leader. If you want the workforce to be engaged and working for the good of the organization, you must share information and expertise that would be most appropriate and effective to build the trust and commitment needed for positive change in the organization.

Delivering bad news can be tricky business, yet doing it well is essential. When sensitive, controversial, or potentially hurtful information is not delivered well, people can feel angry and indignant. Trust is destroyed and relationships suffer. For most leaders, delivering bad news is hard, and some even opt for silence. Those on the receiving end usually appreciate bad news that is delivered promptly and with honesty, directness, care, and concern. Transparent leaders must convey their principles and beliefs with others to increase the values they promote within the organization.

The key for a transparent leader is to tap into their inner self and adapt to each situation. It is okay for the transparent leader to show the emotional side of their leadership abilities however; not allowing your emotional side to manage the situation. This allows the organization and people whom follow you, to view your leadership style from a personal prospective.

Transparency in women is an easy fit because of the social and nurturing abilities in most women. Women are sometimes appeared to be more transparent than men because normal belief in women is that they cannot keep anything as confidential.Transparent leaders are confident with their leadership decisions and strategies and are true to themselves. Leaders that lead transparent lives also live a more fulfilling life and even at home they are having highly satisfactory life.

What people expect from leaders is usually rooted in the basic interpersonal operation of the leader-follower relationship, where personal connections are made through trust, reliability, care, and appreciation.

Authentic leadership is what people want to follow and trust, as a leader you want to be trusted by the people you lead.Transparent leaders are willing to admit mistakes so they can address problems. If your goal is to have a team of employees who genuinely want to follow you, as a leader you must acknowledge the reality of each situation, good and bad, so that together you and your team effectively respond to the bigger issues of successful leadership. In conclusion, one should realize that transparent leaders engage the passion of their employees and leverage their commitment to deliver on the core values of the organization.