Hey guys, I missed AGAIN, posting last week. I skipped the posting and I have felt pretty bad about it. Consistency and discipline are things that I am really working on right now.

Today, I want to talk about TRANSPARENCY. As I learn more and more about what makes me really passionate, leadership, I see that many examples of leaders today are pretty bad. The notion that a leader is not supposed to share everything with their people is an idea that has me really scratching my head.

Why wouldn’t we share everything with our teams? Whether they are our employees or our business partners, we would want them to have access to any information they may need. Along with company information, is a discretion with our attitudes and behaviors. This one is crucial.

What I mean by this is “living in a glass house”. I heard this for the first time by my mentor, Tony. He mentioned living in a glass house because too many people are two different people: when they are in front of their colleagues, and another when they are at home with family. This has been a really interesting topic for me, because I am a huge advocate for humility, as some of you may know from my previous content.

When we strive to be in a leadership position, I have seen from other powerful leaders that they open up their lives to the people who they work with. When two business partners are signing a contract to work together, they aren’t just giving each other a percentage of equity in the company… they are giving each other equity in their LIVES, a piece of their LIFE. The reality is, we expect partnerships to work out, and when they do, they are life-long and strong.

Transparency in social situations is so vital because it allows for trust. And with trust comes an opportunity to build a relationship. If we can’t build relationships, then what else is there? Now, as Jim Rohn said, “what is simple to do, is also simple NOT to do.” Being transparent is very good and is quite simple: tell the truth ALWAYS and be open when expressing emotion or thoughts. It is also simple to: hide what we feel and think, talk about others behind their backs, and hold back information about everything. Being transparent is simple, but it is definitely not easy!

So, how can we take the steps towards becoming just that much more transparent?

• It only requires one person, to open up to. This creates the trust, the trust that they are worthy of the information you are giving them.
• Expect the best from people. I like this especially because people are not perfect, but when we can believe in them wholeheartedly, our chances of getting hurt reduce significantly. In previous employment situations in my life, I have been burned. I was used, and taken for granted. I am a nice person, with a good attitude and previous employers saw that as a weakness and had me doing things without the proper compensation. That is ok! Because at the end, I know that although not compensated physically by my employer, I will ultimately be compensated greatly by God, who created all things. He is watching out, and has the perfect plan.

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Overall, that really just scrapes the surface of a topic such as living in a “glass house” when it comes to leadership. As I embark on my leadership journey, I love talking about these topics TODAY, and then looking back a few years later to see the progress of my mindset.

After all, I am really into LEGACY. My future children will see this post one day, as well as my children’s children. I have never though much about legacy up until I met my mentors, because it is all that is left. When we are gone, what else is left? Not cars, not money, not houses, but the IMPACT we have left on the people we have come in contact with over the span of our lives.

THAT is living in a “glass house” because it allows just about anyone to see right through you, to find that there is no room for lies, deception, or manipulation. ONLY LOVE!