The Transparency Edge. How Credibiltiy Can Make or Break You in Business

Deciding What’s Important

Dr. Ron B. Goodspeed, president and CEO of Southcoast Hospitals Group in Fall River, Massachusetts, with three facilities and 5000 employees, offers an “owner’s manual” on himself to those who work for him and anyone thinking about working for him. The manual, based on a self-assessment and input from associates, outlines the 56-year-old Goodspeed’s leadership assets and warns of his shortcomings—like resorting to statistics and research data when uncomfortable with an idea, a tendency to ramble, and his penchant for analogies that sometimes muddy communication. Now given to all employees, the manual was written originally to help a new vice president “manage up.” That new vice president said that his respect for Goodspeed “went up a notch” when he was given the manual, and he intends to write one on himself for his own direct reports (“Job Candidates Receive Some Tips on the Boss,” by Joann S. Lubin, Wall Street Journal, January 7, 2003). Goodspeed clearly understands the importance of letting his people know what he is about and what makes him tick.

What should a leader include in his or her “owner’s manual”? What information, whether revealed through Goodspeed’s method or through daily interactions, adds value, creates trust, and helps to build a collaborative culture? Much depends on who you are, what you are comfortable with, and what you believe your organization’s culture will tolerate. What would you like to keep private? What might happen if your team knew

• Your religious beliefs?

• Your political beliefs?

• Your views on pornography?

• Your child’s drug problem?

• Your personal goals?

• Your most embarrassing moment?

• Your unfulfilled desires?

• Your major weakness?

• Your worries?

• Your biggest strengths?

• Whether you are happy with your life?

Authenticity does not require that you share intimate information about yourself and bare your soul. It does, however, demand that a leader sometimes stray from business-only conversations and share personal information—his or her lessons, beliefs, family life, and background.

Revealing personal challenges can underscore a leader’s humanness, making him or her seem approachable and genuine, and exposing underdeveloped sides can help shatter the myth that a leader has all the answers. No one expects or wants perfection from a leader—then why would he or she need help from followers? Some experts advocate exposing a weakness as a means of protection, arguing that if you do not show a weakness, observers likely will invent one for you. While this is probably true, being so strategic with your weaknesses seems manipulative. The same can be true with the approach of choosing a weakness that can be considered a strength. “I’m a workaholic,” for example, is arguably not a weakness and may sound contrived and insincere.

Revealing your trouble spots is tricky. You want to appear humble and human, not ill-suited for the job. Consider the new president of a university who, when asked questions about the school’s finances in meetings with his executive team, says: “I really don’t understand that budget yet.” One of his direct reports told me that trust was eroding as he persistently revealed his lack of interest and lack of knowledge.

Highly personal information also should be handled carefully. Earlier in her career, as a vice president at a mail service company, Margaret received an unexpected phone call from her college-aged son who revealed to his mother that he was depressed and suicidal. Margaret quickly realized that she would need to take time to address her son’s crisis. She did not think twice about walking into her boss’s office to explain the situation and assure him that she would be on top of her work.

“From that moment on, our relationship changed,” she said, “He saw me differently—not as his competent direct report but as a mother with a problem.” She juggled her workload and her family priority for 6 months before things got better. Looking back, Margaret feels that she was not given assignments and that her career stalled for a while, even though she maintained her work responsibilities. If she had it to do over again, she would have done her work and kept quiet about her son’s problem. “Another boss might have been different. I just don’t think he was really capable of handling the information.”

Leaders struggle with whether to share personal information at work. Those who do generally experience more positive results than negative, but how does a leader determine the risks? If you are concerned that revealing a particularly sensitive weakness or personal challenge might do more harm than good, ask yourself the following questions:

What is my motivation? The information ultimately should add value. Does it teach a lesson or help someone understand something? Does it help show empathy? Might it inspire change? If so, sharing it is worth considering.

Is this the right time and place? You do not want to walk away from a situation and think, “I wish I hadn’t said that.” Sensitive information could be misinterpreted or mistreated if it is not revealed in the proper context.

Can this person handle the information? This is ultimately a test of instincts. You should consider whether the person is trustworthy and mature enough to treat your information and you with respect.