Blog Post #18

01/11/2019

Transparency

As leader transparency is required to be effective. The burden of leadership requires you to be accessible to your subordinates. In order to quickly gain the trust of an employee, you have to be open and transparent. This allows you to avoid rumors and any rifts that may form from secrecy. 

In the military, all personnel wears earned achievements on their uniform. You know if your fellow soldiers have APFT scores, gone to battle schools and deployed. This level of transparency is excellent, individuals do not have to speak of their achievements. Respect and expertise can be established quickly based on the nature of your awards.

Transparency extends to mission intent. Soldiers (time permitting) are often explained the importance of the mission and why they are fighting. This empowers the soldiers, if they fail, other brothers in arms could be hurt. Is this concept transferable to the civilian workforce?

Yes, being open with your employees can create a dialogue of mutual respect. Civilians obviously do not wear uniforms. You can call a meeting however to share your resume and a little bit about yourself. This will make your employees more comfortable with you. 

I encourage you to try to be more transparent. Be available to your employees. This will create a more positive work environment for all parties. Especially for millennials who often wish to understand the larger picture. 

What do you think? Do you agree or disagree? Has a superior ever been transparent with you? Have you ever had difficulties being transparent? Please comment and be respectful. If you have any friends or family that may be interested in this content, please refer them to this site.