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Leadership Without Shadows: Inspire Through Transparency and Trust
How openness and honesty amplify ethical human-hearted leadership.
In my last article, Leadership in the Taoist Way: Empower Others to Say, “We Did It Ourselves”, I suggested that leadership is not about modelling the behaviour of others. Instead, it is about embodying principles that inspire those around you to act on their own.
What I didn’t explore fully in that article were the additional qualities of transparency and trust. These qualities cultivate and reinforce the nature and power of ethical, human-hearted leadership.
The Role of Transparency and Trust in Leadership
Embedded within the six human-hearted virtue practices is the essence of transparency and trust. Let’s revisit these practices briefly:
- Non-Contention: Avoid creating unnecessary conflict for the greater good.
- Impartiality: Respect the dignity of all perspectives.
- Compassion: Act from a heartfelt desire to alleviate suffering (without taking on the other person’s pain).
- Yielding Flexibility (Open-Mindedness): Stay adaptable and open to change and new ideas.
- Humility (Understanding)…