How transparent leaders empower employees

Outstanding corporate cultures are led and nurtured by executives who engage and inspire employees during times of crisis.

The year 2020 certainly qualifies as such: It has been uncharted territory for even the most experienced leaders. In our Spark Coaching practice this Fall, many clients are focused on adjusting—and helping their teams adjust—to a host of disruptive changes including reorganizations, new reporting structures, expanded roles and revised goals. It’s a process we call “recalibration.” Chances are good that many of you are navigating similar issues, too.

Interestingly, in doing this work we’ve noticed a recurring theme that keeps surfacing—regardless of the industry sector, the functional area or the size of the business: transparency. Both senior executives and their teams point to a desire to operate with a greater degree of transparency and to work within enterprises that value and model transparent leadership.

A powerful tool

At its core, transparency signals respect. It says: “I respect you enough (colleague, employee, client, vendor) to tell you the unvarnished truth, to admit that I am not an omniscient leader, and to invite you to be part of the solution.”