5 Benefits Of Being A Transparent Leader

There has always been this everlasting pressure on leaders to perform and “lead by example”. Often times leaders feel that they have to set a standard of performance and behavior throughout the organization because people look up to them. Now this is really important and it is highly essential to be an effective leader. Leading by example is a big part of being an effective leader.

But it’s not big enough to let the genuineness of their leadership fade away. It’s not enough to merely lead from the outside, instead of leading from the inside out. This basically means that leadership from the heart is different from “process-driven leadership” – some of you who have been working in executive leadership positions will know exactly what I’m talking about here. Those who lead from their hearts have a “genuine” air about them. They refuse to compromise who they really are to conform to certain standards in society and are not afraid to let the people they lead see who they really are.

Five Benefits Of Being A Transparent Leader:

#1 You’ll show your humanity.

The first and most beneficial of all is to let those you lead see your humanity. Just as they have weaknesses and struggles you as a leader too face yours because your still human! For example – admitting to a mistake you made or apologizing for you slack or arrogance gives the people you lead a chance to extend more respect towards you because they always knew your not perfect but now they’re just glad you admitted to it!

#2 You’ll become genuine.

Transparency helps you become more genuine in your relationships. Relationships are everything. The people you relate to daily need to see who you really are on the inside to build trust. They don’t want to see what society suggests you should be like. Thinking of improving the performance of your team? Build genuine relationships.

#3 You’ll learn faster.

Transparency empowers you to be a better learner. It exposes your weaknesses and strengths so that those whom you trust can invest their time and experiences into those areas and thus help you develop them to become a better leader. Don’t keep what you struggle with to yourself. Let someone know and be a willing learner so you can grow.

#4 You’ll improve your accountability.

Transparency increases accountability.The World has seen too many stories of people who start well and later crumble and fall because of a lack of transparency. Take former investment banker Bernie Madoff, who is currently serving a 100-plus-year sentence in federal prison for masterminding an epic Ponzi scheme which represents the largest-ever bank forfeiture in the U.S. Transparent accountability would have saved him.

#5 You’ll feel more responsibility.

Transparency brings more responsibility and thus greater wealth. Why do you think Emotional Intelligence is more important than IQ to employers? It’s because they know the value a person full of integrity and transparency can bring into a company’s environment. People are obviously going to trust the people that have greater transparency with greater responsibility.

People who are aware of themselves, aware of their emotions, thoughts and behavior patterns always seem to have better relationships. Management positions are for such people. They demand trust and reliability of those around them by their sound character and leadership from the heart.

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