Leadership in the Age of Demanded Transparency
My review on Amazon.com
How do you lead effectively in a world that is extremely connected and where ideas flow fast and with passion between individuals? How do you manage control in an era where grievances about your business are broadcast the moment they're experienced? Business leaders will get their answers reading this book. Moreover, I think the ideas in this book are beyond the scope of business and leadership; They are pointers for being an effective Open entity in today's world.
Companies like to think of themselves as "open, transparent and authentic," without actually doing the hard work that is required to accomplish that. Charlene Li, a Social Media expert and the author of this book, contends that it takes a lot of rigor and discipline to be "open, transparent and authentic." She argues that it takes a well thought-out plan, commitment and resilience to live up those ideals.
The anecdotal narratives provided in this book are very interesting and draw conclusions that support Li's guidelines for openness. The stories heavily emphasize the importance of the feedback loop between a company and its clients. Allowing the client to set the level of trust required in the relationship is a paramount shift in the way we thought of trust and its place in business.
When United Airlines broke a guitar, they were awakened rather abruptly by their client who felt that he wasn't being treated properly and that United broke not only his guitar, but also the unspoken, unidentified trust code it had with him.
What happened to United was unfortunate but not uncommon. Entities that resist the state of openness of our world are either left behind or, like United, are burnt by their unwillingness to participate.
To remain relevant and thrive by today's standards, you need to apply these principles to yourself, relationships and businesses. It's that good.
Ismail Elshareef 