Comments on: Transparent Leadership http://www.suzipomerantz.com/transparent-leadership/ Innovative Influence: Where Leadership and Business Development Intersect Thu, 11 Mar 2010 08:41:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: admin http://www.suzipomerantz.com/transparent-leadership/comment-page-1/#comment-152 admin Thu, 18 Dec 2008 15:18:01 +0000 http://www.suzipomerantz.com/?p=175#comment-152 You are so right, Kevin! In fact, there was a recent article about transparency and culture written by Warren Bennis, Daniel Goleman, and Patricia Ward Biederman in a recent issue of Leader to Leader that states "claiming to be transparent is not the same as actually being transparent. Even as many heads of corporations and even of states boast about their commitment to transparency, the containment of truth continues to be a dearly held value of many organizations." (http://www.leadertoleader.org/knowledgecenter/journal.aspx?ArticleID=741) You are so right, Kevin! In fact, there was a recent article about transparency and culture written by Warren Bennis, Daniel Goleman, and Patricia Ward Biederman in a recent issue of Leader to Leader that states “claiming to be transparent is not the same as actually being transparent. Even as many heads of corporations and even of states boast about their commitment to transparency, the containment of truth continues to be a dearly held value of many organizations.” (http://www.leadertoleader.org/knowledgecenter/journal.aspx?ArticleID=741)

]]> By: Kevin Peck http://www.suzipomerantz.com/transparent-leadership/comment-page-1/#comment-151 Kevin Peck Tue, 16 Dec 2008 22:46:28 +0000 http://www.suzipomerantz.com/?p=175#comment-151 There's a lot of good that can come from building transparency (in what you do as a leader) into your organization/the culture. It is definitely important to be clear about rules of engagement (internally and externally), what makes a successful professional (i.e. behaviors, attributes, work styles, etc.) for the organization and how people will be rewarded. The first two in particular are easy - its the third one that appears easy and gets overlooked because it is assumed to be a no-brainer BUT I have yet to see an organization or leader within one that is willing to have an honest, open, and true dialog about all of the things that get a successful professional rewarded. Every organization can list ad nauseum all of the functional ways the employee is expected to act, do, deliver, etc. But, I've never seen a leader be completely open and honest (Transparent) about the intangibles that leaders and teams of leaders assess, look at and consider when deciding who is more successful (or at least who has a promising future) versus others. When I say "intangibles", I mean everything that makes human resources and legal teams sweat - the soft stuff like, he's really easy to work with, she always makes herself indispensible, he always shows up for client meetings looking like a slob, she never washes her hands before she leaves the rest room, he always orders the most expensive thing on the menu when the client pays....and the list goes on and on. These aren't written anywhere and you'll be hard-pressed to find a manager willing to address these issues, especially as the professional underneath them get to be more and more senior. The leader never really delivers open, honest feedback - and the professional never gets what they need to evolve. This lack of transparency is rampant in business today - and until leaders are wiling to deal with these unspoken barriers to success, professionals and the organizations in which they work will be limited. There’s a lot of good that can come from building transparency (in what you do as a leader) into your organization/the culture. It is definitely important to be clear about rules of engagement (internally and externally), what makes a successful professional (i.e. behaviors, attributes, work styles, etc.) for the organization and how people will be rewarded. The first two in particular are easy – its the third one that appears easy and gets overlooked because it is assumed to be a no-brainer BUT I have yet to see an organization or leader within one that is willing to have an honest, open, and true dialog about all of the things that get a successful professional rewarded. Every organization can list ad nauseum all of the functional ways the employee is expected to act, do, deliver, etc. But, I’ve never seen a leader be completely open and honest (Transparent) about the intangibles that leaders and teams of leaders assess, look at and consider when deciding who is more successful (or at least who has a promising future) versus others. When I say “intangibles”, I mean everything that makes human resources and legal teams sweat – the soft stuff like, he’s really easy to work with, she always makes herself indispensible, he always shows up for client meetings looking like a slob, she never washes her hands before she leaves the rest room, he always orders the most expensive thing on the menu when the client pays….and the list goes on and on. These aren’t written anywhere and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a manager willing to address these issues, especially as the professional underneath them get to be more and more senior. The leader never really delivers open, honest feedback – and the professional never gets what they need to evolve. This lack of transparency is rampant in business today – and until leaders are wiling to deal with these unspoken barriers to success, professionals and the organizations in which they work will be limited.

]]> By: admin http://www.suzipomerantz.com/transparent-leadership/comment-page-1/#comment-148 admin Wed, 10 Dec 2008 05:11:46 +0000 http://www.suzipomerantz.com/?p=175#comment-148 Amen to that, Chuck! Great insights! It really is all about relationship asset management. Listening is an integral part of that, and I like what you said about the willingness to be different as a result of having truly heard the contributions of others. Leaders who do that have rare talent indeed. :) Amen to that, Chuck! Great insights! It really is all about relationship asset management. Listening is an integral part of that, and I like what you said about the willingness to be different as a result of having truly heard the contributions of others. Leaders who do that have rare talent indeed. :)

]]> By: Chuck Blakeman http://www.suzipomerantz.com/transparent-leadership/comment-page-1/#comment-147 Chuck Blakeman Wed, 10 Dec 2008 04:42:57 +0000 http://www.suzipomerantz.com/?p=175#comment-147 A friend of mine spent years studying leadership to find the essentials. He found one constant in both successful and failed leaders. Those who failed set up their relationships to exclude anyone who was at their "level". Those who were successful made sure they had true peers in their lives who could regularly look in their eyes and ask hard questions and call B/S when they saw it. And those successful leaders listened. Do I have someone who can call B/S on my life? Will I listen? Real transparency goes beyond the disclosure of information to the willingness to take input and be different afterwards. A friend of mine spent years studying leadership to find the essentials. He found one constant in both successful and failed leaders.

Those who failed set up their relationships to exclude anyone who was at their “level”. Those who were successful made sure they had true peers in their lives who could regularly look in their eyes and ask hard questions and call B/S when they saw it. And those successful leaders listened.

Do I have someone who can call B/S on my life? Will I listen? Real transparency goes beyond the disclosure of information to the willingness to take input and be different afterwards.

]]> By: Suzi http://www.suzipomerantz.com/transparent-leadership/comment-page-1/#comment-146 Suzi Wed, 10 Dec 2008 03:41:16 +0000 http://www.suzipomerantz.com/?p=175#comment-146 Great point, Michael! Thanks for taking this to the next level. I think when we start to become observers of transparency, we can see opportunities for it everywhere. I've noticed that Obama and his teams have been really open and inclusive, seeking feedback and input and making nearly everything visible as you can see on their website (http://www.change.gov) and as a student of leadership, I find these to be exciting and powerful times we live in! :) Great point, Michael! Thanks for taking this to the next level. I think when we start to become observers of transparency, we can see opportunities for it everywhere. I’ve noticed that Obama and his teams have been really open and inclusive, seeking feedback and input and making nearly everything visible as you can see on their website (http://www.change.gov) and as a student of leadership, I find these to be exciting and powerful times we live in!
:)

]]> By: Michael Benidt http://www.suzipomerantz.com/transparent-leadership/comment-page-1/#comment-145 Michael Benidt Tue, 09 Dec 2008 20:54:36 +0000 http://www.suzipomerantz.com/?p=175#comment-145 Might suggest you add web transparency , too. Too often, when you visit a business web site or blog, you’ll find very little information about who these people are and why they are in business. This may be a particular problem with blogs, but it’s equally true of business web sites. Transparency on your web site or blog means that you let your readers (listen up, bloggers and web site designers) know who you are, what you stand for, who is backing you, who is fronting for you and how we can easily communicate with you. Suzi, you get an A for your including your LinkedIn and Facebook profiles, Twitter address, phone and other contact information. You'd be surprised at how many people don't practice that kind of web transparency. Might suggest you add web transparency , too.

Too often, when you visit a business web site or blog, you’ll find very little information about who these people are and why they are in business. This may be a particular problem with blogs, but it’s equally true of business web sites.

Transparency on your web site or blog means that you let your readers (listen up, bloggers and web site designers) know who you are, what you stand for, who is backing you, who is fronting for you and how we can easily communicate with you.

Suzi, you get an A for your including your LinkedIn and Facebook profiles, Twitter address, phone and other contact information. You’d be surprised at how many people don’t practice that kind of web transparency.

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