Let’s be clear: transparency is a matter of ethics. Transparent leaders share information “free from pretense,” does not deceive others, and even communicates in a frank manner. This according to Webster is the definition of transparency.
Consider the key words: free from pretense, deceit, frank. Indeed these are crucial elements of an ethical leader.
We hear much about transparency today, to the point that it hedges on the verge of a fad, a buzz word with no meaning. But I urge us all to remember that ethics is never a fad or a buzz word. It is at the heart of leadership and effectiveness. Transparency is what we count on to help understand the meaning of our circumstances, hardly a fad or buzz word depleted of significance.
Leadership effectiveness is, in part, greatly influenced by the leader’s ability to be transparent and it’s used as a means to achieve goals and unite people. Transparency is a deliberate choice to make thoughts, needs visible. It makes a leader accessible. It makes a situation readily understandable, removing doubts that interfere with action and restores our faith in what is right, just.
