Transparent and Authentic Leadership

Book excerpt: Covering an array of leadership theories and related topics, this volume examines the scriptural foundations of being a transparent or authentic leader, exploring themes such as communication, trust, gender, and technology. The book is organized into sections on self, honesty, and ethics to fully dissect the role of character in leadership and to show that the behavior of leaders is reflective of their, and by extension, the organization’s values. The chapters use biblical examples to show how openness and honesty relate to building trust with followers, how greater levels of transparency prevent organizational crises and contribute to greater organizational success, and the relationship between ethical leadership and organizational culture. Further, the book evaluates the impact of advanced technologies, social media, and other modes of rapid communication on transparency and authenticity in leadership. This book will add a new wrinkle to the leadership literature, highlighting how to use a biblical approach to cultivate transparent and authentic leadership.