Healthcare Leadership
with Dan Nielsen dan@dannielsen.com
The Role of Transparency in Leadership
Through the years, I have had the opportunity to interview many different leaders in the healthcare community for the purpose of teaching others through America’s Healthcare Leaders online mentorship platform. I believe that one of the best ways to learn is to learn from the experience and acquired knowledge and wisdom of others.
The subject of transparency has been brought up by multiple leaders, and most recently by Chris Van Gorder, president and CEO of Scripps Health. When asked what types of habits are most responsible for his success, Van Gorder responded that transparency has played a big role. He jokingly noted, “When I speak with the board, I give them almost too much information.” He went on to explain,
“We not only focus on the great things that are going on, but also the things that aren’t going as well, on which the board’s support and counsel is needed.”
Within the healthcare community, transparency in leadership is a key tool—a tool that has to be wielded carefully. As Van Gorder talked about transparency and the role it has played throughout his career in healthcare leadership, it was clear that he wasn’t implying he shares every detail with every person. Transparency within leadership does not necessarily mean you share everything. There has to be a balance.
A recent Inc.com article by John Brandon describes the need to find this balance. Great leaders do not want to be so transparent about their professional and organizational struggles and problems that they lose the confidence of their team and decrease morale. Brandon states, “Choosing when to be open and transparent is an act of wisdom, not deceitfulness.” There has to be a balance of sharing what is necessary and building confidence within the staff to overcome these struggles.
Ben McKibbens, a longtime hospital CEO who is now retired, made a statement in an interview he did with me a few years ago that nicely summarizes transparent leadership:
“Set standards early on that comply with a worthwhile mission. Make sure you function with transparency, honesty, fairness, appropriateness, and within legal limits.”
The role of transparency in leadership is not to express every thought and emotion you have had on a particular subject. Effective transparency is being open and honest about organizational struggles, while demonstrating confidence and standing firm in your decisions as a leader.
Question: What role does transparency play in your leadership? How do you find the right balance?
Copyright © 2015 by Dan Nielsen – www.dannielsen.com
America’s Healthcare Leaders – www.americashealthcareleaders.com
National Institute for Healthcare Leadership – www.nihcl.com
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