“Don’t be afraid to show your vulnerability. Be transparent with your team, even when the truth may be unpopular or inconvenient.” – Bill George ~ Former CEO of Medtronic and a professor at Harvard Business School As human beings, we trust because of what we know, not because of what we don’t. Blind trust is not trust at all; we can only have confidence in someone because of what they allow us to see. We may have heard of the many attributes that makes someone trustworthy but there is big distinction between the expectations we may have and the convictions we know to be forthright. As leaders, we can only ask our co-workers to trust what we have shown them. It needs to go beyond leading through a glass window; we need to ensure that there are no barriers between us and those we work alongside. There is the fear that being too transparent will make us look vulnerable and will disallow for those around us to believe that we are the one to follow. But it is our ability to be vulnerable that shows our humanity. It is when we allow others to see that we are just like them and deal with the same issues that they do, that we become more authoritative, not less. We are able to problem-solve that much more quickly when we lead transparently. By getting everything out on the table we strengthen the resolve of the group around us because our mission becomes their purpose. This forces the team to work closer together now that they know the challenges they may face and they know more about the person for whom they are working. When we are transparent we set a precedent for others to do the same. Relationships are strengthened when we show others that what brings us closer together is knowing that we all deal with the same insecurities. This creates not only a promotion of trust in the leader, it allows those around us to trust one another that much more so... It would mean a lot to us if you checked out today's full blog post at Medium.com under @claytonjjensen (Transparent leadership is about shining a light so that others can see.) #BillGeorge #QuoteOfTheDay #Medtronic #Leadership #BeTransparent
