By Esme Arendse, Managing Director Aprio South Africa
In today’s business world, where trust is the currency of leadership, radical transparency is no longer optional—it’s essential. For decades, leaders have been trained to curate polished messages, project unwavering confidence, and control every element of the narrative. But in a world that increasingly values authenticity over perfection, this approach is rapidly becoming outdated.
Radical transparency challenges traditional leadership by embracing openness, vulnerability, and real, unfiltered communication. It’s about showing up as your true self—flaws, setbacks, and all. While many leaders fear that too much transparency could weaken their authority, the opposite is true: it humanises leadership, cultivates trust, and drives deeper connections with employees, clients, and stakeholders.
Transparency vs. Oversharing: Striking the Right Balance
Of course, not all transparency is productive. There’s a fine line between radical transparency and oversharing. The key difference? Intent and impact.
Radical transparency is about sharing information in a way that builds trust, provides clarity, and fosters meaningful engagement. It’s about admitting when you don’t have all the answers, acknowledging mistakes, and communicating openly about challenges. Oversharing, on the other hand, is transparency without purpose—it’s unstructured, reactive, and often more about unburdening the leader than serving the audience.
A great example of radical transparency in action is Patagonia, which has built immense customer loyalty by openly sharing both its sustainability successes and shortcomings. Closer to home, I’ve seen leaders transform company culture by being upfront about challenges. One CEO I worked with once shared the story of a failed product launch in a company-wide meeting—not to deflect blame, but to encourage learning and innovation. Instead of losing credibility, they gained respect, and their team felt empowered to take risks without fear of failure.
The Risks of Radical Transparency—and How to Navigate Them
Transparency, when mismanaged, can backfire. Leaders who share sensitive financial details or internal conflicts without context risk causing unnecessary anxiety within their teams. Employees don’t just need the truth—they need truth with direction.
The key is intentionality. Transparency should always serve a higher purpose, whether that’s inspiring, educating, or aligning teams around a shared goal. Leaders must balance openness with discretion, ensuring that what they share strengthens trust rather than eroding it.
This is particularly crucial in crisis situations. In times of reputational risk or legal liability, honesty remains critical—but it must be handled carefully. A well-placed, sincere apology can rebuild trust, but it must be specific, acknowledge the impact of the issue, and be backed by meaningful corrective action. In today’s world, where consumers and employees hold companies accountable, a hollow apology is worse than no apology at all.
Radical Transparency in a Hybrid World
If transparency was important before, it’s non-negotiable in today’s remote and hybrid work environments. Without the informal office interactions that once kept employees connected, a lack of communication can quickly breed speculation, uncertainty, and disengagement. Leaders must now over-communicate rather than under-communicate. Employees need to know what’s happening, why decisions are being made, and where the company is headed—before they start filling in the gaps themselves.
True transparency isn’t just a leadership trait; it’s a cultural mindset. It needs to be embedded at every level of an organisation, not just practiced at the top. Leaders must model the behaviour they want to see—by openly sharing information, admitting when they’re wrong, and creating safe spaces where employees feel empowered to do the same.
Structured transparency also matters. Regular feedback loops, anonymous Q&A platforms, and candid leadership conversations help build an environment where honesty isn’t just encouraged—it’s expected.
Ultimately, radical transparency isn’t about saying everything—it’s about saying the right things, at the right time, with the right intent.
