The many benefits of transparency

Brian’s lifestyle as the leader of the company he heads is undergirded by the message of the Bible: “Live as children of light. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible— and everything that is illuminated becomes a light” (Eph.5:8-13). Transparency, he believes, is the best way to do business. Brian observes the best example of transparency in the life of Jesus. Indeed, God becoming man in Jesus Christ stands as the greatest act of self-disclosure in the history of histories. God’s glory was beheld in all aspects of the life and works of Jesus Christ. Jesus openly said, “Everything that I learned from my Father, I have made known to you” ( John 15:15b). When John says, “And we beheld his glory. . .” he was not referring to a glimpse or a sighting of Jesus; “beheld” meant up close. The disciples had a close up view of an open leader. Being a Christlike leader requires the same kind of quality. It means being transparent. It means taking the initiative to make known what we have learned. A corrosive leadership practice is visible in keeping secrecy and unnecessary confidentiality. Information empowers, ignorance disempowers. It is a question of what leaders want for their people. Information holds immense power and should be disclosed wisely. Christ came to reveal, but he was not reckless in his revelation. He used parables. He timed his disclosures. The best leaders are transparent leaders. It’s often said, “Shouldn’t employees have to earn our trust before we place our confidence in them?” While, in fact, a better question is, “Shouldn’t we have to earn our employees’ trust before they put their confidence in us?” We control our behaviour, but not our people’s. Trust begets trust, so leaders should make the first move. Transparency offers many benefits, and it’s a good first move because it shouts, “I trust you.”