Managers and Leaders Must be Open and Transparent

There are four areas that are significant when the mangers and leaders must be open and transparent. Many leaders and managers think that his or her subordinates do not know and will not know. They are sadly mistaken. One of a very dynamic and successful military leader has said that “One must never make a show of false emotions to one’s men. The ordinary soldier has a surprisingly good nose for what is true and what is false”…… Field Marshal Rommel.  In the corporate world, men and soldiers could be substituted as employees or subordinate staff or members of the team.

How to make the managers and leaders open and transparent?

Acknowledgement. The basic illustration has been taken from the Johari Window from the Gallup Workbook “Coaching Strengths: Accelerated Strengths Coaching: Understand and Guide Support Empower”.  Other illustrations and pictures are self- created.

The scale is of 100: ie the leader has 100 talents/skills/values out of these 100, some are known to him or her and some are known to others.  There are six graphical models illustrated below.

Readers can observe as how the open areas increase gradually. These represent the thoughts, feelings, and behaviours that the mangers and leaders know about himself or herself. It includes the talents, strengths, weaknesses and transparent behaviours that are known to her or him and others.  As a coach, it is my endeavour to increase the open and transparent area of managers and leaders. A manager or a leader is most effective and productive when he or she is open and transparent about his or her strengths, weaknesses, emotions and intentions. 

I recommend, that all managers and leaders should strive to reach as illustrated in Model 6.  Beyond this is that known to yourself and known to others will be 100% which may not be feasible due to “need to know principle and competitive nature of environment.

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