Leadership transparency is defined as being open, honest, and straightforward about one's intentions, beliefs, actions, and decisions. When leaders are transparent with their followers, it creates trust, builds credibility, increases loyalty, and improves teamwork. Leadership transparency also means sharing information freely without hiding anything from employees. This can include financial data, strategic plans, performance metrics, and other confidential information.
Transparent communication style refers to how leaders communicate with subordinates. It includes factors such as tone, language, body language, facial expressions, and voice inflection. Transparent leadership styles typically involve direct and consistent messaging that provides clarity, guidance, and support. They may also involve asking for input and feedback from subordinates.
The willingness to engage in emotional collaboration refers to the extent to which employees feel comfortable expressing emotions, sharing personal information, and connecting emotionally with others at work. This can be important because emotional connection can lead to increased trust, collaboration, innovation, and problem-solving abilities.
Several studies have found that leadership transparency and communication style influence subordinates' willingness to engage in emotional collaboration.
A study by Srivastava et al. (2018) showed that when leaders were more transparent about their decision-making process, their subordinates were more likely to share their feelings, ideas, and experiences with them. Another study by Liu et al. (2016) found that leaders who used a more open and honest communication style had higher levels of employee engagement in emotional collaboration.
Not all types of transparency and communication are equally effective. Some leaders may share too much information or provide unclear messages, leading to confusion and mistrust. Other leaders may be overly directive or controlling, making it difficult for subordinates to express themselves freely.
Some cultures may value emotional collaboration less than others, reducing its effectiveness.
Leaders should strive to create an environment where employees feel safe, supported, and valued. This involves being clear, concise, and consistent in communications while providing opportunities for open dialogue and feedback. By doing so, they can foster emotional collaboration and improve team performance.
How do leadership transparency and communication style influence subordinates' willingness to engage in emotional collaboration?
Leadership transparency is defined as an openness of leaders' actions, intentions, policies, and procedures, which are communicated clearly and honestly to followers. Communication style refers to the way leaders communicate with their team members, including verbal, nonverbal, and written messages. Subordinates' willingness to engage in emotional collaboration refers to the extent to which they feel comfortable sharing personal thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and experiences with their supervisors.