Why Transparency Matters — Especially When You Lead Large Organizations

By Dr. Brian D. Wickstrom

When people think about great leadership, they often think about vision, strategic intelligence, or the ability to motivate a team toward big goals. While all of those matter, there is one leadership trait that stands above them all — especially in large, complex organizations:

Transparency.

I’ve led teams in higher education, athletics administration, nonprofit institutions, and corporate operations. Each environment was different. Each one had its own pressures, personalities, politics, and expectations.

But across every role, one truth remained consistent:

People work better when they aren’t left guessing.

Transparency isn’t about oversharing. It isn’t about telling everyone everything. It’s about establishing an environment where your team trusts that the information they’re receiving is honest, timely, and serves a purpose.

And when organizations go through pressure, change, uncertainty, or intense public attention, transparency becomes even more essential.

Transparency Builds Trust — The Foundation of Every Team

There is no way to shortcut trust.
No title automatically earns it.
No resume guarantees it.
Trust is built daily, through consistency, communication, and authenticity.

When leadership communicates openly:

• People relax.

• Anxiety decreases.

• Morale improves.

• Productivity rises.

• Team collaboration strengthens.

Transparency signals, “You’re not in the dark. You matter. You’re part of the process.”

In my leadership journey, the moments where transparency made the biggest difference were not during easy seasons — they were during difficult ones. When an organization is navigating challenges, people want to know two things:

1️⃣ What is happening?
2️⃣ How does it impact me?

If leaders fail to answer those questions, people fill the gaps with worst-case scenarios. That fear becomes distraction, and distraction becomes decline.

Transparency interrupts that spiral.

Leaders Lose More Trust by Staying Silent Than by Sharing Hard Truths

Here’s something I was not taught early in my career — I had to learn it the hard way:

People can handle tough news. What they cannot handle is silence.

Silence makes teams feel:

• Unimportant

• Misled

• Disconnected

• Vulnerable

• Uneasy

When leaders communicate openly, even when the news is difficult, team members respond with maturity, loyalty, and respect.

I can recall several high-pressure situations — budget challenges, organizational transitions, major staffing adjustments, and public-facing decisions — where the temptation was to hold information back until everything was perfectly sorted out.

But waiting only creates a vacuum where fear grows.

Even saying,
“We don’t have every answer yet, but here’s what we know today,”
is healthier than pretending nothing is happening.

Transparency doesn’t require perfection — it requires honesty.

Transparency Strengthens Organizational Culture

Culture is not what leaders say it is.
Culture is what people experience day after day.

Transparent leaders create cultures where:

• Communication flows

• People feel respected

• Staff speak up sooner

• Small problems don’t turn into bigger ones

• Accountability is mutual

• Teams trust the direction of the organization

Over time, this creates a workplace where people feel safe enough to contribute authentically.

When teams know leaders are transparent, they respond with:

✔️ Higher engagement
✔️ Greater loyalty
✔️ More productivity
✔️ Fewer politics
✔️ Stronger relationships

People don’t expect leadership to be perfect.
They expect leadership to be real.

Transparency During Crisis or Change Is a Leadership Imperative

Some of the most pressure-filled decisions of my career came during organizational transitions, expansions, budget periods, or public changes where outside narratives formed quickly.

In these moments, transparency is critical.

When leaders delay communication:

• Employees become nervous

• Rumors spread

• Partners lose confidence

• Students or families feel confused

• Media or external audiences fill the narrative with speculation

But when leaders communicate proactively:

• The narrative stays grounded in facts

• Internal stability increases

• Stakeholders trust the process

• Teams stay focused on the mission

• Emotional reactions are reduced

Transparency doesn’t make challenges go away —
but it prevents chaos.

Transparency and Accountability Go Hand in Hand

You cannot build a culture of accountability without first building a culture of transparency.

When information flows openly, accountability feels:

• Shared

• Fair

• Clear

• Consistent

When information is withheld, accountability feels:

• Punitive

• Personal

• Confusing

• Arbitrary

Leaders who model transparency create teams who are not afraid to:

• Own mistakes

• Propose solutions

• Ask questions

• Share new ideas

• Address problems early

Transparency is not weakness — it’s the foundation of authentic accountability.

Leading With Transparency Requires Courage

Let’s be honest:

Transparency is not always easy.

There are days where the easier route is to say nothing, wait, or hope a problem resolves itself quietly. But leadership is not about comfort — leadership is about responsibility.

Being transparent means:

• Communicating even when it’s uncomfortable

• Showing humility instead of hiding mistakes

• Being willing to share information before you have every detail

• Trusting your team enough to bring them into the process

Transparency requires courage — but it builds credibility.

Conclusion: Transparency Is a Leadership Legacy

I’ve had a long career across multiple industries. I’ve been blessed with incredible mentors, great teams, and opportunities that stretched me. Through all of it, one leadership truth has proven timeless:

Transparency creates leaders people want to follow.

Not because they are perfect.
Not because they always get it right.
But because they choose honesty over ease, communication over silence, and trust over control.

If transparency is the compass, the organization stays on course — even in difficult seasons.

Further Reading

• Leadership Through Personal Accountability
https://www.dr-brian-wickstrom.com/leadership-through-personal-accountability

• Ethical Leadership & Organizational Trust
https://www.dr-brian-wickstrom.com/ethical-leadership-accountability

• Executive Leadership Philosophy
https://www.dr-brian-wickstrom.com/executive-leadership-philosophy