You’ve heard this saying before: people leave managers, not companies. According to Gallup’s State of the American Manager report, one in two employees have left a job to get away from a manager.
A study by leadership consulting firm DDI found that 57% of employees who quit their jobs left because they can’t stand their boss. Another 32 % have “seriously considered” leaving their company because of their boss.
One of the reasons why this occurs is because such managers lack transparency. They take an autocratic approach to leadership where they expect their direct reports to follow their orders unquestioningly.
On the flip side, transparent leadership helps build trust, which in turn increases productivity and lowers business cost.
Transparency in leadership is about keeping open lines of communication between you – the leader – and your employees. It’s not a one-way street: there has to be honesty on both sides to make it work. Note, however, that as a leader, it’s on you to set the example.
Here are a few suggestions on how to be a transparent leader.
Be honest
It’s easy to tell employees what they want to hear (e.g. announcing a bonus, winning a major account) because you know that their response would be favourable. But a transparent leader has to share bad news as well.
Don’t presume that your members can’t handle bad news as well as you can. As professionals, they’re just as mature and competent as you.
For instance, if one of your top clients left and caused a financial setback, tell your employees right away. Discussing this with your team will lead to smart suggestions on how to address the issue. This will also push them to be more engaged.
The more you’re transparent with your team, the more they’ll trust you.
Involve others in your decisions
You’ve probably heard of the quote:
If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
African proverb
This a powerful message and reminder to leaders. You’re only as good as the people you choose to surround yourself with.
This is important in transparent leadership because your team can keep you honest and accountable, and support you with knowledge that you don’t have. By considering what your team knows, you’ll be able to avoid blind spots and make better decisions.
Remember: Effective teams bring their strengths to the table and cover for weaknesses that individual members may have.
Be visible and accessible
There was a time when inaccessible managers were the leadership archetype. However, such an approach led to disengaged and disinterested employees.
Being a transparent leader is about showing your team that you’re available and can make decisions with them. It’s about letting them feel and know that they can communicate with you openly.
So check in with your employees often. Don’t reprimand them when they reach out to you. It takes courage for people (especially from countries like the Philippines) to interact and communicate with their bosses. Make this easier for them.
Make your people look good
Taking credit for others’ work is a poor leadership trait to have. It doesn’t matter if as leader, you contributed the most for the success of a project – because you need to give your team credit as well.
Doing this motivates your employees to do great work consistently and eliminates their fear of being thrown under the bus if they make a mistake.
More importantly, sharing credit with your employees boosts their morale. They know that they’ll be recognised when they achieve results for your organisation.
Keep your promises
Not honoring your commitments destroys trust. If you promise that you’ll do something, see to it that you carry it out.
For example, if you publicly say you value your employees’ work-life balance:
- Don’t message them during the wee hours of the morning.
- Don’t reward people who put in long hours.
To help you follow through on your word, ask your employees to warn you if you break a promise. This will motivate you to think more carefully about what you say.
Likewise, be more aware of your behaviour. If you work towards improving yourself in this area, your people will see this and trust you more.
The bottom line is that focusing on transparent leadership will put your business in a better position to succeed. It inspires your employees to boost their performance while developing connections that are crucial to your organisation’s success.
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