4th
Transparency
There’s a lot of talk these days about being transparent.
An open book. Open to all reading, whether critical or not. This relates to some previously mentioned thoughts on accountability — by being transparent, you hold yourself accountable for all that can be seen.
That is not simply being able to take blame for mistakes; that is holding yourself up to your own strengths and weakness on an ongoing basis. That is truly knowing who you are, and what you are, and not being either ashamed or afraid of it.
Sometimes we pretend to be more, or less, than what we are. We put forth acts, acts to make us appear to be more experienced, knowledgeable, or skilled in certain areas than we already are. Problem is, acts get found out. And when that happens, the whole point of the act drops like a curtain.
Point is, be transparent. And by being transparent, you’re just being yourself. Don’t claim to be what you’re not, don’t claim to know what you’re not. Be honest with yourself about what you know, and especially what you don’t know.
All those things you don’t know? Get busy and learn. The best possible person I could imagine working with is completely open about their strengths, their weaknesses, and how they’re addressing their weaknesses. Then I least I’ll know what to expect from them, and what not to. And maybe how I can help them learn.
See, that’s how being transparent not only helps you, but those you work with.
