I have a management pattern that I refer to that just says “transparency is a serious accelerant”. I refer to it often. I’ve watched first-hand as teams of talented people moved with more energy, advancing faster towards a goal because they understood how those goals fit into the larger picture. And they had access to that larger picture.
It definitely gets more difficult to be transparent as a leader as your organization grows, because context must be provided and expectations must be set. But the upside is that when you allow your entire team to both see what’s going on with your strategy and ask questions in a public forum, your culture will be immensely strengthened and your credibility as a leader will solidify. I’ve watched leaders answer “I don’t know, but we need to get that question answered, thank you for bringing it up!” and their teams rallied behind them because they were transparent and honest with their team.
See also:
- Greatness by David Marquet
- Objectives and Key Results
