How to communicate with targeted, strategic transparency

In both leadership and communications, the quality of transparency wears a halo.

We connect it to other positive qualities like authenticity, honesty, integrity, and altruism—and, when used appropriately, it can certainly reinforce all of those important values.

But just as wouldn’t wear an invisible suit or dress to the office, not all transparency is useful or advised. Nor should it be the sole purpose for sharing a revelation. Broadcasting your professional weaknesses or personal peccadillos to your entire staff is certainly transparent, but is it wise?

Clearly, leaders need ground rules when it comes to communicating with transparency. Below are three tips to help leaders make decisions about transparency that reinforce—not reduce—their leadership presence.

1. Productive transparency requires a purpose.

Transparency is only as meaningful as the content you share, so always establish and recognize the purpose behind that revelation. Consider:

I once worked with a pharmaceutical executive who had the opportunity to toast a retiring colleague. After a string of obligatory and generic compliments, the executive told a lengthy story about how, years ago, he held the role himself and failed miserably.