Leading With Transparency During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Transparency is defined as: the quality or state of being transparent. Transparent is defined one way as: readily understood, another way as: characterized by visibility or accessibility of information especially concerning business practices. I would define it also as: clarity. It depends on where you are and how much you can disclose. Being transparent as a leader is fundamental to success. As a leader, you must trust that your employees when given the truth can rise to the occasion to deliver on that challenge. These are uncharted waters. Leading with transparency is even more critical during the coronavirus pandemic
As we have seen during this pandemic, people want the truth: give it to them straight. Your employees want the same. They want to be able to clearly understand what is going on and make decisions based on that knowledge.
Leading with transparency during the coronavirus pandemic requires:
- Communicating and doing it often. These are turbulent times with change on overdrive. The more you communicate, the more your employees know what is happening and plan accordingly.
- Use your mission and vision to help guide your decisions and share those with your employees. Remind yourselves why you are doing what you are doing. Use that to think out of the box to come up with creative solutions to this “new normal.”
- Don’t be afraid to show your vulnerable side. You are anxious, your employees are anxious, be honest about that. Let them know. We are all human and make mistakes. Your employees will think better of you.
It is understandable that you might be worried about upsetting your employees. It’s just the opposite, they do better when given the truth. When you lead with transparency you help create a culture of trust. Believe in your employees and know they will rise to the occasion.
Please share how you lead with transparency in the comments below.
If you would like help figuring out how to re-think your daily life, work, department, or company, please reach out!