Growing health and effectiveness

A blog centered around The Addington Method, leadership, culture, organizational clarity, faith issues, teams, Emotional Intelligence, personal growth, dysfunctional and healthy leaders, boards and governance, church boards, organizational and congregational cultures, staff alignment, intentional results and missions.

Monday, June 3, 2013

What in the world are you thinking?

That is a question many staff want to about their leaders. What is on their mind? What are they thinking? How are they evaluating the work of the organization? What is coming in the future? What ideas are percolating in their minds.

A large part of staff trust in their leaders (whether at the top or leaders of teams or divisions) has to do with knowing what their leader is thinking. It not only builds trust but it provides a great deal of stability on the staff because disclosure eliminates surprises and allows staff to move in the same direction as their leadership.

Leaders who don't practice appropriate disclosure can come off as aloof and unapproachable. Not a recipe for trust and collegial relationships. There is a deep desire for good staff to understand what is on the minds of their leaders and to be able to move forward with them toward the same goal.

If you are a leader, how disclosing are you with your staff? Obviously we are the most disclosing with our senior staff and appropriately disclosing with others. The members of the ReachGlobal cabinet - the senior team I lead know exactly what I am thinking at any point in time which has built significant trust and allows us to think corporately about the future.

The more private we keep what is in our minds the less powerful our leadership. The more disclosing we are, the more effective our leadership.

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