We live in a fast-paced, ever changing, complex world. As leaders we are constantly looking for more effective, efficient, and productive ways to do our work and that of those we lead. You probably have read the statistics that the Gallup organization published about the percentage of non-engaged and actively disengaged employees (http://www.gallup.com/consulting/52/Employee-Engagement.aspx). The cost is staggering. Even with jobs in jeopardy during tough economic times, employee engagement has not significantly increased and the reasons for the lack of engagement have not changed. Leadership is still the key but a specific style of leading is needed.

Today’s guest post is by Mike Figliuolo, co-author of Lead Inside the Box: How Smart Leaders Guide Their Teams to Exceptional Results (you can get your copy by clicking here). You can learn more about Mike and the book at the end of the post.

Here’s Mike:

Alan leads a team of highly-intelligent scientists. While most of their time is spent on scientific work, a portion of their roles is administrative. Before Alan took over the team, many of these scientists hadn’t been trained on these responsibilities because their previous leader tended to do all this administrative work himself. Alan fell into that same habit when he took over the team.

During a hectic period, Alan and I spoke about how stressed out he was. “I don’t have enough hours in the day to get all this stuff done.”

Have you ever heard the expression, “When I go slow, I go fast”?

I remember the first time I heard this statement. It was said directly to me regarding my crazy working patterns and juggling too many things at once. When this statement was first said to me, I must be honest, I was offended - especially since it came from someone I did not know very well. However, this statement continued to come back and haunt me over time. I could not get it out of my mind. I began to ask myself, “What would make this person say this to me…? Don’t they know how busy I am…? Don’t they know everything I have to accomplish in a day…? Don’t they know…?” The list was endless.

The reason the statement was nagging me, was because it was and still is true.

Being a “People Champion” is key to great leadership. If you saw the Women's World Cup Final, you may have seen what a “People Champion” can accomplish!

First, nothing happens without a goal (double entendre intended)! You have to know where you’re going and then everyone needed to get there must know too.

As a leader of a team or an organization creating a culture of transparency can be a powerful tool to build trust and organizational cohesion.

But what should we share, and when? How much is too much?

One thing to consider the type of information: is it tactical or strategic? Is it key to executing the next steps on the path, or is it helping to make sure we are on the right path? The level of information and the way it is presented will depend on what its purpose is.