Does transparency really cancel success?
I do not mean to sound negative…but in a world built upon lies, it seems more and more that transparency has become an afterthought.
Transparency seems to occur when the truth is about to be exposed. More self-amusement, as that sounds like an oxymoron.
I do not believe that transparency cancels success.
I believe that being transparent is the only way you can effectively and completely climb the success ladder.
Here is why…people are craving authenticity. People desire leaders who will lay it on the line and be vulnerable. Where has this gone?
In “The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth”, John C. Maxwell states that character growth determines the height of your personal growth. And without personal growth, you can never reach your potential.
So character growth is a critical factor in determining your personal growth curve…whether you are trending up or down. Honesty is a powerful component of character development. Honesty is a key barometer your peers use to evaluate your transparency.
It should be a key component of your self-evaluation as well. Being brutally honest with yourself is the only way personal growth is personified. Yet, many avoid this arena of transparency. Why? What are they scared of? Knowing the truth?
So how can we change this culture of avoiding transparency?
Begin within yourself…begin with myself! Take that brutal self-evaluation exam. Stare in the mirror and decide to make the leap to succeed! Here are five quick tips that will help launch your success journey:
Don’t worry about how you look. Focus on your values…being better on the inside than the outside. The inside will always influence the outside.
Follow the Golden Rule. Think about the way you want to be treated by others. Don’t wait for them. Be the difference maker and do it for them.
Don’t get caught up in what you think they want to hear. Teach what YOU believe…what YOU are passionate about.
Be humble…don’t get caught up in yourself. A prideful spirit will fail. Faceplants are no fun! (I know)
Push through to the end. When that happens, you have begun to take control of your character. When you control your character, it is within your power to control your emotions.
This can be a scary moment in time. It might place you so far out of your comfort zone that you feel like a base-jumper whose chute is not opening. That is ok…just take it one step at a time.
Be the change agent to cancel the culture of avoiding transparency.
Transparency does not cancel success. It is one of the foundational principles of success and true leadership.
Find it…Live it…Breathe it…Be it!
Martin
Vertically Empowered
Where obstacles are just an exercise…