Honest leadership has remarkable effects on any organization. It fosters trust, respect, and integrity in the team and encourages everyone to be transparent in dealing with each other and matters of business. Honesty in leadership can sometimes be tricky but there are telltale signs that indicate you’re on the right track.
The best signs you’re practicing honest leadership are when your team starts mirroring you and taking risks for the business. When they echo your words, actions, and transparency, it means they admire and trust you. When they take risks, it means they feel safe and motivated by you as their leader.
This article will talk about different signs you can take note of that tell you you’re doing a great job in inculcating the value of honesty in your team. We will highlight cues such as mirroring, risk-taking, eager cooperation, sharing of personal details, and employee retention. Honesty can take your team places, so if you’re eager to learn more, let’s begin!
What Does It Mean To Be Honest as a Leader?
To be honest as a leader means you must be keen on sharing relevant information, especially when doing so benefits the company. You must answer questions truthfully, without corruption, even though it might risk offending the receiver. Honesty in leadership means you must model integrity and credibility at all times.
Honesty in leadership can be summarized in the following sentence:
If you have something to say, silence is a lie!
Here are unmistakable signs that you’re practicing honest leadership:
1. You See Your Team Members Mirroring You
Honesty is contagious, and if you find your team members mirroring your words, actions, and attitude, you might be rubbing off on them in a good way. One of the marks of good leaders is their ability to act as great role models for their team. It’s a great way to set the tone for the entire organization and establish honesty as one of its core values.
Honest leaders who can influence their team to adopt an open, honest culture will help set the entire organization up for success. Word will get around about your team’s credibility and integrity, so a lot of other entities would want to associate with you. This translates to more business opportunities, enrichment of your client base, and the emergence of a loyal clientele.
Signs that your team is mirroring you:
- Your team is starting to use the same unique words and arguments as you do.
- They are starting to engage in the same free time activities as you.
2. Your Team Members Are Risk Takers
Honest leaders foster honesty in their team members, and they generally like working together and challenging each other to succeed and go beyond their comfort zone. The culture within the team is one where everyone is working toward development and growth.
Employees willing to take risks are highly advantageous for the business. The benefits include:
- Organizational growth. One of the usual ways employees take risks is by developing and modifying business operations. Their success spells growth for the business as well, and it further motivates them to find more ways to grow.
- Sense of ownership. When employees take risks, they develop ownership in their work and efforts. If they succeed, they revel in a sense of pride. If they fail, they feel challenged to do better next time.
- High retention rate. Employees who are inspired to take risks generally love the challenges of their job. Businesses benefit a lot when employees love their work and stay in the organization. Operations aren’t disrupted and the workflow remains seamless.
Signs that your teammates are risk-takers:
- You are presented with wild ideas, far outside the box.
- Teammates take the initiative and try new things, often without asking first.
3. Your Team Members Eagerly Cooperate With You
Employees tend to collaborate more willingly and enthusiastically with leaders who are honest and trustworthy. They know they’re in good hands, and they can comfortably voice out ideas and observations. Honest leaders establish a transparent, encouraging culture within the team, making everyone feel safe.
People like working with leaders who allow them to grow their skills, experiences, and careers. If others see you as a leader with integrity, you’ll find yourself constantly surrounded by individuals eager to collaborate — and this includes not only your team members but also people from other departments, similar businesses, or maybe even your competitors.
Signs that your team is eager to cooperate:
- They engage in discussions with you that are too sensitive or provocative for the public space.
- They choose to work together with you in the office instead of remotely.
4. Your Team Members Confide in You
Honest leaders make people comfortable enough to share information outside of the usual professional demands and expectations. Employees can sense that you have their best interest at heart so they feel at ease sharing their plans for the future with you. They might even share details about their personal lives, knowing that you consider such information sacred and private.
Signs that your team confides in you:
- They talk about events that put them in a bad light.
- They share stories that if it came out, would negatively affect them.
- They share their future plans that are not aligned with the company, such as quitting.
5. Your Team Members Go Over and Beyond the Call of Duty
Honest leaders are easy to work with, especially since they create a transparent, engaging vibe in the workplace. Subsequently, team members become keen on delivering more than what’s expected of them, sometimes as a result of boosted motivation levels, while other times just to please you.
Employees are inspired to go the extra mile when their leader makes them feel valued and secure. They can feel your guidance and support, so in return, they are willing to help you succeed. After all, their success is your triumph, too.
Signs that your team goes the extra mile:
- They share ideas and observe problems even though it will impact their workload negatively.
- They are constantly operating outside their comfort zone, such as looking for feedback or risking failure.
6. Your Team Runs Like a Well-Oiled Machine
Honest leaders create teams that are functional, synergistic, and productive. The open and transparent culture allows for great camaraderie and teamwork, making the workplace a highly conducive and engaging place. They say 2 heads are better than 1, but 3, 4, and more can certainly get things done better and faster.
Honesty within the team also allows team members to be more considerate and supportive of each other. When they feel that they can trust each other, they can open up about different aspects of their lives that may be affecting work. Perhaps an ongoing marital issue is making someone feel less motivated on the job, or maybe someone recently lost a pet and has been feeling down.
Knowing such personal issues makes a team more sensitive to each other’s needs. Without animosity, they can offer support whenever someone needs it rather than becoming upset about perceived non-cooperation.
Signs your team is running without unnecessary friction:
- There are always volunteers to cover when someone needs to take time off.
- Routine tasks rarely require your support.
- The team automatically adapts to new information and changes direction when needed.
Honest leaders are excited about sharing relevant information with their teams. They see their team members as allies in business and can be just as significant to the organization as they are. They know that withholding important details from their team can have catastrophic effects.
Not knowing enough information can make an employee jump to the wrong conclusions. Being kept in the dark about the particulars of certain projects can make an employee deliver insufficient and irrelevant work. Your honesty and transparency in business will be much appreciated by your team members and will encourage them to work more collaboratively with you.
Signs that you are sharing the correct amount of information:
- Your team rarely says, ” X person told me this; why haven’t you told us”
- Teammates ask only a few questions (this is a sign they trust that you deliver the essentials and that you hide nothing).
8. Your Team Members Run to You for Help
It takes a while to earn a person’s trust. In the business setting, apart from time, it also takes the right kind of leaders to win a team’s confidence, and honesty, transparency, and integrity will definitely get you there.
If you find yourself being sought out by your team members for insights and advice on how they can better handle different tasks and situations at work, it’s a clear sign that they trust you and appreciate your openness, sincerity, and emphasis on your duty of confidentiality. Sometimes, they might even run to you for help regarding personal issues outside the professional scope.
Signs your team trusts you for help:
- They ask you for advice even though they should or could have gone elsewhere.
- They ask personal questions unrelated to the business.
