Customer Reviews

Transparency: How Leaders Create a Culture of Candor (J-B Warren Bennis Series)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This book takes on the difficult task of explaining the links between the reality- truth of a situation, cohesiveness of a group to accept truth, the abilities of leadership to embrace candor, and the perceptions of followers to create a culture of trust. A well researched book and a good read for indicating how the culture of being open in a group must be created and maintained. After all, trust and truth are the building tools in any relationship.

To that aim, the writers attempt to explain how in a mini-second that a conflict of differing views arises either from within or outside the leader-follower structure, must be dealt with promptly. It outlines as a test of leadership why and how certain strategies and tools should be considered. Lying, denying to confessing are some options leaders have used in the past. But how should one as a leader deal with the unvarnished truth is the question? Above all, the emotional feeling of trust must be maintained or the leader-follower relationship is damaged.

This book gives examples how leaders (in business, and in government) need to create a culture of candor amongst their followers. The old saw that good and honest managers are the last to know when there is a serious problem, is regrettably too accurate. Yet, the bad managers or deniers of the truth are the first to know as they often created the problem. When humans make an error, the key personal questions of ethics and integrity facing all members in a group are... should they tell others about it or cover it up? Why should they?... as generally there are no emotional or financial guerdons in telling the truth. Unfortunately most culture in organizations allow the creators of a problem either to deny it existence or to downplay its importance. Few humans have the abilities or courage to openly admit to making errors and that is the rub. Thus, an organization must design such fail safe system.

In the final analyis, this book is about leadership and controlling one's emotions within a group. Foremost,as a preventer to open and trusting group collaboration,it is the negative emotional reactions of leaders when they encounter criticism. First, most leaders' egoes do not allow them to easily embrace an unflattering truth or admit to an error in judgement. Also many view candor as expression of the disloyal. Strange as research indicates that followers of fallen leaders will trust them again if the leader admits freely that there was an error in judgement. One of the behaviors that create intergroup conflicts is how leaders often indicate by words and action over time that loyalty at any price is better than a grain of truth.

Second, in most cases,there is an emotional tendency for leaders to view messengers carrying such truth as foes and to negatively over-react when hearing any bad news. Thereby creating interpersonal conflict of either rage, fear, anger, delusion, expressed in an emotional list of reactions (Is he/she one of us or one of them? What is he trying to say now? Can't they keep their mouth shut?)- followed by a destructive behavior of concealment. These are uniquely human traits that leaders must learn to control I discovered in my years doing applied management research as a consultant and teaching leadership as a professor of organizational psychology. This book attempts to deal with those human traits and is highly recommended, just for that reason alone.Dr. Errol D. Alexander

Warren Bennis, Daniel Goleman, and James O'Toole are three of the most influential business thinkers in recent years and, with Patricia Ward Biederman, collaborated on this book that consists of three separate but related essays: "Creating a Culture of Candor" (Bennis, Goleman, and Biederman examine transparency with and between organizations), "Speaking Truth to Power" (O'Toole shares his perspectives on transparency in terms of personal responsibility), and "The New Transparency" (Bennis explains how digital technology is making the entire world transparent). According to Thomas Friedman, the world has become flat as a result of forces that "are empowering more and more individuals today to reach farther, faster, deeper, and cheaper than ever before, and that is equalizing power - and equalizing opportunity, by giving so many more people the tools to connect, compete, and collaborate." Bennis, Goleman, O'Toole and Biederman agree. The first essay suggests how the same "flattening forces" to which Friedman refers also have a profound impact on relationships between and among organizations throughout the world. In the second essay, O'Toole eloquently as well as convincingly stresses the importance of responsibility and (yes) accountability of everyone who is involved in those relationships. Then in the third essay, Bennis shares his insights concerning the most significant consequences of technology, given the fact that "leaders are losing their monopoly on power, and this has positive impacts - notably the democratization of power - as well as some negative ones."

In the Preface, Bennis notes that this book really isn't about technology. "It is about the things that have mattered since the new technology was the flint and the longbow - courage, integrity, candor, responsibility. Technologies change. Human nature doesn't." That is the core concept in O'Toole's essay and wholly consistent with the core concepts in his previously published books, notably The Executive's Compass, Leading Change, and Creating the Good Life. I agree with him that "speaking to power is, perhaps, the oldest of all ethical challenges." He briefly discusses several plays (Sophocles' Antigone, John Osborne's Luther, and Robert Bolt's A Man for All Seasons) who protagonist offers a reminder to leaders in our own time of the responsibility to create a transparent "culture of candor." O'Toole also cites FedEx, the Cowles Media Corporation, GM, and Motorola as examples of organizations that do -- or do not -- have such a culture, those whose leaders are - or are not -- "constantly willing to rethink their most basic assumptions through a process of constructive dissent...about such often-taboo subjects as the nature of working conditions they offer employees, the purposes of their corporation, and their responsibilities to various stakeholders." Whatever the size and nature of an organization may be, O'Toole insists, it must be one "one in which every employee is empowered to speak the truth." Trust must be the essential ingredient to its effectiveness [and is] the most elusive and fragile aspect of leadership" because it is so difficult to earn but so easy to lose and, once lost, nearly impossible to regain.

I highly recommend this book to those in senior-level executive positions as well as to others whose ambition is to ascend to that level. Speaking directly to the reader of this review, I urge you do everything you can to help establish and then support a transparent culture of candor. If you find yourself in one in which you cannot "speak to power" despite your best efforts, seek another culture in which you can. Meanwhile, keep in mind that Dante reserved the last and worst ring in hell for those who, in a moral crisis, preserved their neutrality.

I am rarely disappointed with a book as much as I was with Transparency: How Leaders Create a Culture of Candor. This short book is a series of three essays that might be well described as philosophical meanderings about the virtues of being truthful, honest, and open in dealing with others. It offers little in the way of insight, and even less in terms of wisdom. We learn, for example, how the internet makes it more difficult for governments, as well as political and business leaders to keep secrets (!). The book also has a heavy political bias, which is neither informative nor persuasive.

For example, readers are given numerous examples of how republicans are not open and forthright in their dealings with the public, but democrats generally are honest and reliable. Oh, please! Such is the extent of the authors' scholarly work. For example, readers are treated to a story about how the Board of Directors of Hollinger International spent $8 million to purchase papers relating to Franklin D. Roosevelt; this was indeed a very questionable transaction of dubious value to Hollinger's shareholders. But only one board member is identified by the author, and is singled out for his failures: Henry Kissinger, a stalwart Republican.

Other examples of political bias abound: Ronald Reagan, George Bush, and Donald Rumsfeld are also harshly criticized in the first essay, along with Henry Kissinger and the CIA, while Bill Clinton is praised for his open leadership style. The source notes in the back of the book are also somewhat revealing. The most frequently cited source is The New York Times, not exactly a bastion of conservative thinking.

While the book's political bias greatly dilutes it message as well as its credibility, the biggest problem with this book is that is has so little message in the first place. In addition, the overall tenor of the book is very negative - there is little discussion from an upbeat, positive vantage point about creating a culture of candor (in spite of the book's title), and much more in the way of bemoaning the lack of candor throughout the world. This makes the book rather tiresome, and a bit of a downer to read.

Ironically, this book fails to live up to its own premise of transparency. It is so loaded with political bias that the authors appear fundamentally incapable is seeing their own lack of objectivity. But what I find most disappointing of all is simply that the book offers the reader no insightful, useful, or practical advice of any significance. Readers looking for a good foundation on transparency would be far better off reading All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, by Robert Fulghum.

At 144 pages, you could finish this slim volume in an evening. Its three, smoothly written essays combine to make an engaging book. Authors Warren Bennis, Daniel Goleman and James O'Toole, writing with Patricia Ward Biederman, blend references to well-known events with useful new accounts of transparency and opacity, and their outcomes. The writers focus primarily on concept and character, but they also offer specific suggestions for action. The essays fall between diagnosing what's wrong with many organizations, and providing a manifesto on how to fix the problems by using transparency. The book is a clarion call for ethical action and openness. That alone is pretty common; who would openly call for dishonesty and secrecy? However, three things make this collection vital: the personal experience of the authors (especially O'Toole), the synthesis of history and current events, and the clarity of its ethical vision. getAbstract recommends this book to all readers who are interested in business ethics, and to leaders who want to know how to make their organizations more transparent.

An excellent book by three of my favorite authors. A bit of a Democratic bias in how they select their stories from my point of view . . . but good stuff for today's and tomorrow's leaders.

The book could have been better balanced between the sad stories of leaders who were not transparent and those on the other side who smear people without fear of reprecussion. Bloggers are not all automatically good guys.

So many good lines and good points . . . I will make slides to use in my next seminar. Bennis and Goleman have been most helpful in my career as a leader and consultant.

The core concept of the book titled Transparency can be summed up in a quote by Rev. Martin Luther King who once said, "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." The authors build three distinct, yet interrelated essays around that premise that parse up the meaning of the word transparency (e.g. honesty, integrity, ethics...etc.) and how those varied interpretations have infiltrated virtually every aspect of our lives. The three primary themes contained in those essays center around the idea of transparency in the Internet age; internal and external transparency of organizations; as well as the need for individual transparency. Each of these ideas feather together to create the idea of transparency as a critical component of success for individuals and organizations alike. Using examples from a variety of sectors including government and business, Bennis, Goleman and O'Toole examine the traits of transparent leadership, organizations and our evolving global culture. Soundview believes this book provides a thoughtful treatment of this topic and advances the discussion to a new level.

The three essays in this book should be read by everyone in a leadership or managererial role. THe authors point out ways to create culture's of candor - open, honest, and forthright organizations - something that has been getting more rare as time goes on. Personally I believe that this book should be on the required reading list for eah and every member of the new Obama Administration.

I especially liked the quote from Francis Bacon: "If a man will begin with certainties, he will end in doubts, but if he will be content to begin in doubts, he will end in certainties." and the one from Martin Luther King Jr.: "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." Both of these appear in the second essay on speaking truth to power and it is in this area that I believe the most work is needed. Far too many folks in power believe that they have the answers and won't accept any others. If they read this they might see the error of thier ways.

This book does an excellent job of explaining not only why you SHOULDN'T hoard or cover up negative information about yourself or your company, but why you CAN NOT. Great book. Highly recommended.

Likes:
' Was humored by the jargon, adages, maxims and quips, for example some generic "none of us is as smart as all of us", "imperial nakedness", "old saw", and some specific (Clinton) "when in doubt, let it out", (engineers) "don't tell someone you have a problem unless you have a solution"
' Very relevant to today's new presidential administration, which has called for and acted towards transparency at many government and non-government institutions
' An almost prophetic book as it talks about the demise of whistle-blowers such as Eric Shinseki, who a year after this book was published was brought back to stature and power. I'm betting Obama and/or his advisors have read this book, and keep it on their shelf.

Dislikes:
' The three-essay format is disconnected, expect for the repetition of the jargon (I heard "old saw" too much). Since all authors agree that difficult conversations are important, and since their essays-to-book is far from seamless, why didn't they just have difficult conversations among themselves, instead of parroting each others ideas and words? Again, there is irony since at least one author (Bennis) found this copying to be a characteristic of non-transparent organization.
' All authors continue to talk about companies, but never named names. I got tired of hearing about simply a "memory storage company" or "major investment bank".
' Schizophrenic in that the subject continues to switch from truth-speaker (whistle-blower) to power (leader, who also needs to be a truth-speaker). Speaking truth to power by whistle-blowing is just one means of arriving at transparency.
' Authors should state that transparency strategies can be used in many difficult conversations.
' Generally a difficult style of writing. Someone with an e-version of the book, please search for ". But"
' Focused too much on (the organizational culture of) for-profit companies.
' I wanted to hear more about inter-organizational transparency, for example between a non-profit and government entity.
' Where is the summary at the end?? It just trails off on some digital-age detail....

Recommendation:
' Worth a quick read, but not worthy of the bookshelf

Transparency: How Leaders Create a Culture of Candor is a compilation of three essays from organizational behavior and management luminaries musing on the advantages and disadvantages of organizational transparency, with particular attention to the monumental changes posed by the advent of the information age. Bennis' preface eliminates any ambiguity; while there are some serious drawbacks to unnecessary transparency, the underlying thread connecting the three essays highlights transparency as an inevitable reality which, if properly managed, leads to increased trust, improved effectiveness, and critical information management.

The first essay, "Creating a Culture of Candor," provides an overview of transparency in organizations within the context of facilitating communication, cementing trust, and developing a culture that is conductive to constant improvement and reevaluation. The detailed discussion of the role played by whistleblowers in organizations gives extremely valuable insight into why transparency is necessary, often at great costs to those who take on the David role to their organizational Goliath. It also provides an excellent evaluation of the changes mitigating transparency as a result of the rapid emergence of the internet and other technologies. Borrowing many of Peter Senge's concepts of organizational structure and function, these core concepts and approaches to transparency are nestled within a complex evaluation of the role transparency plays in not only organizational culture but also information systems in general, providing a rich discussion useful to managers, elected officials, executives, and other guardians of information.

The second essay, "Speaking Truth to Power," continues to discuss the role of the whistleblower, adding novel supplements based in historical applications of transparency in philosophy, literature, and government. Merging the concepts of transparency and ethics, O'Toole delivers a riveting discussion of the challenges facing those seeking openness when an organization (knowingly or unknowingly) serves as an impediment to the flow of information. While certain examples are recycled from the previous essay, the essay remains fresh and poignant as a result O'Toole's innovative discussion. Ultimately, while not all information need be shared with all parties, O'Toole makes a strong case for loosening the stronghold on non-proprietary information by demonstrating the clear ethical obligation for transparency at all levels within an organization. This premise is bolstered by the clear and remarkable examples of best practices from a variety of public and private institutions.

The final essay, "The New Transparency," brilliantly reorganizes the previous concepts in the context of developing technologies and changing expectations. The advent of the internet, mobile video/audio recording, and electronic communications has led not only to a shift in the way information is shared, but a marked change in our culture, which has now come to assume transparency as the norm. This change is being reflected in the practice of organizations and legislation of governments. While strategies to adequately address the negative implications of a near-fully transparent society are slowly evolving, it is clear that transparency is upon us. Responsible organizations will be best served by embracing the new reality.

Those seeking a "how-to" manual may be disappointed, but Transparency is overflowing with valuable information, proactive strategies for developing a transparent organizational culture, and current examples of where various approaches to transparency have succeeded and failed. Despite the occasional political bias, the three essays should be highly recommended to anyone interested in new media, privacy, communications, information systems, organizational culture, management, and ethics.