Clear as crystal
Oddball Leaders value openness and transparency.
I read an article once about how people can more easily acquiesce or dream up conspiracy theories in their heads during times of ambiguity and uncertainty.
That sounds dangerous, doesn’t it?
It also sounds totally understandable, especially when — in addition to the ambiguity — natural forces beyond human control strip people of their agency.
PROBLEMS WITH AUTHORITY
In business, when building strategies and making tough decisions, I like to have the full picture. I think that’s a good thing?
I sometimes can’t help but wonder if it’s just because I’m a control freak who won’t budge unless they know everything. As I grow older, more experienced, and more self-assured, it’s something I accept as a condition of making the best possible choices.
Do I need to work on doing my best when I don’t or can’t get the full picture? 100% yes. (I think that’s where the fear of being a control freak fits in.)
Am I going to insert conspiracy theories where those information gaps are? No way. There’s way too much in the way of misinformation and disinformation in the world; I’m not about to contribute to the churn.
And I am confident I can make better decisions as a leader when information is unnecessarily limited.
Knowing that of myself, and knowing that every garbage boss I ever had also kept everything close to the chest — because sometimes the best leadership training one can get is working for a garbage boss — my oddball leadership style places a high value on transparency.
I’M NOT A BABYSITTER
Last I checked, everyone who has ever worked for me is a grown-ass adult. If I have built relationships with my teammates appropriately, those relationships are forged in trust and clarity.
So if I’ve been given information or have made decisions that would benefit those teammates or the progress of our work together, they really should have that information or be made aware of those decisions as well.
BEING COY DOES NOT A GOOD LEADER MAKE (ODDBALL OR NOT)
I once had a boss who spoke in coy riddles with their whole chest. Frankly, it was a top-down issue occurring at the highest levels of leadership. Over and over and over they parroted the state of organizational change with ambiguity and mystery.
In this kind of situation, your team will begin to see cracks forming, the ruse will shine through, and a singular reality emerges: you have no idea what you’re doing, you are completely out of your depth, and you’re just afraid to admit it.
This same kind of coyness significantly stifled financial potential in another role I had. My boss at the time refused to “communicate down,” which halted progress and erased every opportunity to innovate. After this person departed from the organization, and the silos of communication were busted down, the revenue growth we saw in the organization due to innovation and open communication and progress was remarkable.
Point blank: being coy causes harm to teams, organizations, and communities.
KNOWING WHEN TO SHUT THE FRIG UP
Being transparent doesn’t mean openly declaring everything you know to everyone you work with. There is a necessary element of discernment that you have to express (as a leader anyway, I’d argue).
There are some exceptions to my standard on transparency:
If the information violates the trust or confidentiality of others — whether it is someone I report to or someone whose timesheets I sign.
Similarly, if the information causes harm to a separate party. This includes information that must be protected for legal and compliance reasons.
If it’s information I should not know myself, or means engaging in workplace gossip.
If it’s information that I am unclear on, is second-hand and hasn’t been verified.
YOU HOLD TWO KEYS
A leader always holds the key to forging trust, growth, progress, and the professional development of their teams through appropriate transparency. They also hold the key to causing harm and stunting potential through unnecessarily withholding vital information to your detriment.
Which key do you want to use?
