Executives are notorious information hoarders. And keeping secrets creates suspicion and breeds distrust. In my work with leaders, I am constantly surprised by how many leaders believe the false notion that certain information is too sensitive to share with employees.
As I have argued in my latest book, The Bellwether Effect, a vital way to create an inspiring culture is the adoption of open-book management.
Sharing the inner metrics of an organization with all employees and inviting their feedback and input, helps them to connect the dots between their work efforts and the organization’s results. (This is a more profound idea than it may at first appear because most employees in uninspiring cultures cannot fathom the mysteries of how their work connects with the organization’s performance). In an open-book management culture, anyone who is unhappy about anything in the organization, will have access to all of the organization’s data and can use this to do something about it. Inviting them to sign up for any email distribution list they choose, including the reports that, in other organizations, would only be seen by the CEO, gives confidence through transparency, and is empowering and inspiring. Conversely, treating corporate data as a secret creates a vacuum which will inevitably be filled by rumor, innuendo and fabrication—all ruinous to an inspiring culture. Such organizational cultures are derisively referred to as “mushroom management” for obvious reasons.
Aside from sharing certain sensitive human resource data, which is seldom wise, informative or inspiring, most other information can be safely shared without risk, and doing so demonstrates that leaders have self-confidence, trust employees, treat them as adults, and value their input, creativity and feedback. This leads to a more inspiring and robust sense of connection, camaraderie, shared purpose and community.
Are you a leader who is creative and courageous enough to open your kimono?
You touch on a very interesting topic.
Some of the best managers I ever had have been those that were open and trusting and willing to share information. Conversely, the absolute worst and equally uninspiring manager I ever had took great pleasure in withholding even the most trite piece of information, in an attempt to bolster his own importance within the firm.
As much potential as the firm had, unfortunately it now barely exists and I had at one point lost count of the number of employees that came and went through our doors.
But I also learned a lot from it – largely what ‘not’ to do.
So now as I am in the process of building up my own firm, I know precisely the type of leader I want to and will be. The challenge that I will myself face – and this is something that only I can and need to come to terms with – is that I grew up distrusting. And unfortunately it is very much part of my unconscious.
But through the study of A Course in Miracles, through the eye opening journey that I have been on these past several years, I know that I am on the best way to become the highest version of myself and that includes a complete reversal of the management and leadership mindset that 99.9% of the population have grown up with and still believe in.
So here is to the inspirational leaders of this world! Those who truly live and breath the concept of inspirational leadership, of inclusion, of honesty, of empathy, of compassion – and who fully understand that these characteristics breed success, success that is noteworthy and healing and equally – financially rewarding.
I love your idea of learning what NOT to do from terrible bosses – this has been a cornerstone approach of mine for many years – I had a terrible boss from whom I learned exactly what NOT to do as a leader, so I did exactly the opposite. The same approach led to the discovery of The CASTLE(R) Principles (https://secretan.com/staging/resources/media-and-learning-tools/castle-principles/castle-principles/) – we learned what people despised in leaders and developed a system that was the opposite.
More commonly most employees live in vacuumed silos. They are treated as children that should be seen not heard, and important adult information is deemed too sensitive for the “children”.
It totally authoritarian rule.
It is amazing how simple the fixes are for turning dismal workplaces into inspiring ones, isn’t it, Brahm?
My experience has been the more information you share, the more engaged everyone is in celebrating success and resolving challenges. The questions that arise create opportunities for discovery of ideas, suggestions, leading to yet more ideas, and result in a growing feeling for everyone that, ‘we are all in this together’. This I learned from Lance Secretan and his team, finally, I have the opportunity to ‘do it’ fully and the results are amazing. Thank you Lance for a life dedicated to ‘a better way’. Elaine Stephens
Yes, when we keep people in the dark, rumor and politics and innuendo fill the vacuum. When we share the data freely, we can access the full potential of people’s creativity, passion and commitment. Why wouldn’t everyone set aside their egos and misunderstandings about the need to hoard information, in order to achieve this?
One comment I have had from those who withold has to do with legalities, financial information, public filings, and the like. In your experience, what’s the best way to handle these concerns?
I have heard this argument a thousand times, as I am sure everyone else has too. But when I ask for an example, there are usually none. “What data do you keep secret, that you feel could be used against you by an employee if they had access to it?” Blank look. It’s different with competitive information, but even that is an over-rated risk – most competitors know your secrets already. Apple goes to uber-paranoid lengths to keep secrets and bind employees to secrecy through tightly worded contracts, and even so, information leaks, competitors launch products with similar features before Apple (or Samsung do so). Our vanity often obscures our decision-making – what makes us think our data is so special that it should be kept away from everyone except an elite few? On the other hand, sharing data widely will invite a bounty of creativity and passion. This choice should result in a realization of the obvious, leading to a removal of all the barriers to sharing information with those who understand it and can use it productively.