Transparency:How Leaders Create a Culture of Candor

In a time when the reputation of a company or a leader can be shattered by the click of a mouse, transparency is a matter of survival in a world of global competition.  But as stakeholders in different organizations increasingly clamor for transparency, what are they truly asking for?  What is the promise of transparency?  What are its risks?  And why is it essential that leaders understand it?

In our summary of Transparency:  How Leaders Create a Culture of Candor, by Warren Bennis, Daniel Goleman, and James O’Toole, we’ll explore what it means to be a transparent leader, create a transparent organization, and live in an increasingly transparent world.

Bennis is Distinguished Professor of Business Administration and founding chairman of The Leadership Institute at the University of Southern California, as well as the author or co-author of numerous books, including Judgment, Organizing Genius, and On Becoming a Leader. 

Goleman wrote the best-selling books Emotional Intelligence and Primal Leadership.  He is co-director of the Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations, based at Rutgers University. 

O’Toole is Distinguished Professor of Business Ethics at the University of Denver’s Daniels College of Business.  He is author of 17 books, including The Executive’s Compass and Leading Change.

According to Bill George, the former CEO of Medtronic, the authors have “teamed up to address the vital question of our times, whether organizations have the courage to be open, honest, and most of all, transparent.  They give deep insights into why transparency is essential to long-term business success.  It is a must-read for anyone who wants to build an authentic organization.”