Leadership may be positional, but true leadership is about how you show up.
As a change practitioner, you may lead a change team, or you may not. Either way, bringing radical transparency to your work can significantly increase the value that you bring to the change efforts you are supporting. “Radical transparency does not mean telling someone to his face in front of his peers that his polka-dotted tie is ugly. 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.”
In his article How Can You Tell Someone Has True Leadership Skills? Look for This 1 Rare Sign, Marcel Schwantes explores the value of radical transparency. He uses as his example Chip Bergh, chief executive of Levi Strauss & Co. and radical transparency about performance. This is an area where we, too, can apply radical transparency. Are the change leaders we are supporting fulfilling their responsibilities in that role, or are they expecting us to “take care of it?” Are the project team members we are working with performing to high standards, or are they “getting by?” Are we being radically transparent with ourselves and others about what we can—and what we cannot—do to meet the expectations placed on us?
If radical transparency in your current role will make you shark bait, are you in the best place to practice your craft?
Brian Gorman is the Managing Editor of Change Management Review™. In this capacity he regularly curates articles of importance to our readership; contributes original writing; hosts podcasts; and works with guest authors.
For more than five decades Brian has been engaged in—and a student of—change at the personal, organizational, and societal levels. During this time, he has worked with both individuals and organizations (ranging from solo practitioners to Fortune 100 businesses), guiding them through a wide array of challenges. Decades of experience have given him a deep appreciation of the universal patterns that underlie successfully navigating even the most difficult changes.
In addition to his work as our Managing Editor, Brian is a transformation coach, supporting both individual and organizational change. Brian is committed to passing his “lessons learned” on to others, so that their change journeys can advance more smoothly. He is a frequent workshop facilitator and public speaker. Brian is the author of “The Hero and the Sherpa,” a chapter in the online Handbook of Personal and Organizational Transformation (Springer Publishing; Judi Neal, Editor). He also has an extensive library of blog posts, articles, and videos on the change journey, including “The Ten Most Important Lessons I Have Learned Over 50 Years of Engaging Change.”
Mr. Gorman’s formal education includes a BA in Cultural Anthropology from Syracuse University, an MA in Higher Education Administration from the University of Texas, San Antonio and an MA in Human Relations from the University of Oklahoma.
Brian is an International Coach Federation (ICF) certified coach, and is an active member in the New York City chapter. Brian is also a member of the Forbes Coaches Council and the Gay Coaches Alliance.