By Hal Alpiar, www.BusinessWorks.US
What leadership transparency is really all about is rallying the belief systems of others to perform at their best, with your best, for mutual accomplishment and gain.
To win the support and belief of others means functioning 24/7 with the awareness that --for those whose shoulders you seek to be put to the wheel of your mission-- seeing is believing! That translates to making what you do and the ways you do what you do be continuously visible to others.
Do you ever draw the line? That’s your call and it depends on how personally entwined your life is with your business, what you are legally bound to protect in terms of confidentiality and trade secrets, and the level of trust you choose to cultivate.
Here are some questions to think about that will prompt you to decide or reaffirm the perspective from which you practice leadership transparency:
ATTITUDES
Do you and your partners, associates, and advisers ALL demonstrate positive upbeat attitudes in practically everything you say and do? When it's time to swallow hard, eat crow, and bite the bullet (heck of a name for a restaurant!), do you and those around you own up, face the music, take it on the chin, take some deep breaths, and then step forward, onward, and upward?
Are high-trust, responsive attitudes standard fare in all your business dealings? Do you practice and foster "OPEN MINDS OPEN DOORS" attitudes? Are you listening?
CUSTOMER SERVICE
Can you honestly say there are no exceptions ever to: the customer is always right, the customer is always right, the customer is always right? (Even when it's a customer who has overstepped bounds, or someone you don't particularly like?) Do you and your people try to make EVERY customer “deliriously delighted”? Are you invested in cultivating repeat sales with a present moment focus? Are you listening?
EMPLOYEES
Are you taking the time and trouble to get to know your people well enough to make the most of their strengths (or are you constantly trying to shore up their weaknesses)? Have you frequently matched employee need levels against Maslow's Hierarchy (Google or Bing it if you've forgotten it) to most effectively motivate productive performances? Do you practice leadership by teaching by example? Are you listening?
INVESTORS, LENDERS, AND REFERRERS
Is your level of transparency what you would want it to be if you were investing in you, or referring others to your business? Are you keeping these key connections inside your inner loop? Are you tapping them as resources and regularly soliciting their input. Have you recruited them into unpaid Advisory Board positions? Are you listening?
VENDORS AND SUPPLIERS
Do you treat these resource people and companies like partners? Can you extend and generate better terms for exchanging and referring and bartering products and services? Do you keep them competitive with an ongoing bid process, and constantly review their performances while keeping open-minded to other options? Do they know where they stand with you? Are you listening?
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Are you running a U.S.Marine Drill Instructors Academy, or a hospice, or something in between? Is the way you run your business in keeping with the industry or profession you're part of? Is it too much in keeping that it doesn't stand out? Do your policies and procedures squelch innovative thinking and doing, or enhance it? How lawyer-crazed tight are your policy interpretations?
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING
Are you constantly making room for top talent, and cultivating it. Are you providing enough of the right kinds of training? Are you aware of how importantly regarded expanded opportunities and responsibilities are to most people? Did you know that young people are positively more attracted to being praised than they are to sex, drugs, and alcohol?
COMMUNITY RELATIONS
Are you and your business being good citizens in the various (professional, industry, geographic, neighborhood) communities that patronize your business and support your existence?
GOD AND COUNTRY
When you put God and country first on your business agenda, all the other pieces will fit together because both God and your country will know about your allegiance, your commitment, and where your heart is. As we sow, so shall we reap.
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