Why Is It So Hard To Find Strong Leaders? They May Lack This Rare Trait

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Ever been in an important?meeting?where a topic on the agenda causes tension in the air that you can cut with a knife? Instead of colleagues speaking up to solve an issue, you get poker faces and eyes looking down to avert what nobody wants to deal with.

The same is true when it comes to having those?tough conversations?to call someone to the carpet. We?procrastinate?or avoid the confrontation, because it's never pleasant, for example, to tell someone he or she is not cutting it.

So when people ask me, "What are the top traits of really good leadership?" my response baffles some, because one of those traits can seem so counterintuitive: "Be radically transparent."

Radical transparency does not mean telling someone to his face in front of his peers that his idea for a new business strategy is pure crap. It's having the emotional courage to stand up to someone or something when you feel violated, to speak from a deep place tugging at your heart, or to cut through healthy conflict now to avoid unhealthy conflict later.

The Leadership Lesson

One example of radical transparency deals with managing someone's performance. If your super smart knowledge worker isn't performing over time, and you feel that this person is key to your growth, you've got to be really transparent and straight with that person to get him to the next level. And if he's not cutting it, you've got to have the courage to tell him so. Hold the bar up high, and if you find someone is not a good fit over time, call it.

When a leader displays radical transparency, team members know exactly how they're doing and where they stand with performance. Radical transparency means the leader is also willing to solicit feedback and give employees a voice in making decisions.

When you get right down to it, radical transparency is the antidote to a toxic work culture where people are at odds, the political climate is heavy, and personal egos stifle teams. It builds trust over time.

If you're willing to admit that your organization promotes a culture of backstabbing, gossiping, and throwing people under the bus, radical transparency holds everyone accountable to shared values and a healthy culture. For example, if you think someone on the team is violating one of those values with favoritism, political manipulation, unfair treatment, or cutting corners, give a few of your trusted team members full license to tell you what's going on behind your back. And if you see the behavior, squash it as soon as it happens. This is sending a clear message to the rest of your team (or company) that no individual contributor rises above the team, and it reinforces your operational values--the authentic behaviors of connecting, collaborating, and belonging in a work community to achieve great things together.

It's Not About Your Power

Radical transparency isn't about leveraging positional power, if that's an impression forming in your head. Rather, it has always been about making the team first and getting the work done. When people are not pulling their weight, then you have to let them know, sooner rather than later. To put it another way, you have to look holistically at the people on your team and find ways to make the team stronger and bring them closer together. Don't regret moving too fast to let somebody go. You may have a bigger regret later if you wait too long to make a move.

In today's?people-oriented work cultures, radical transparency is a leadership strength that helps build a foundation of trust. The key is for information (good and bad) to flow freely and quickly among managers and employees -- both ways -- so expectations are mutually clear and consistent, and everyone is on the same page. This eliminates confusion, ambiguity, suspicion, and the element of unpleasant surprise.

Your turn: What do you think about radical transparency? Do you model it? Is it too risky of an approach at times to be that direct? Leave a comment and let's discuss.

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Senior Leaders, Let's Talk!

If you want to explore how to enhance your employees' well-being, magnify their performance, and bring your teams closer together to achieve great results, our leadership course for emerging managers will be a game changer for your organization. Click here to schedule a time to personally talk with me.

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About Marcel Schwantes

Marcel Schwantes ?is an executive coach, international speaker,?podcast host , and?syndicated columnist ?with a worldwide following. He trains emerging leaders and managers in the skills to build great work cultures where people flourish and businesses grow.