An organization that openly shares information with its internal and external stakeholders, and the society at large, is deemed transparent. Open communication and transparency are the bedrock of trust and trustworthy relationships inside and outside the organization. Thus, not only leaders but also stakeholders should be concerned about the level of transparency of the organization. And, in the era of the internet, it is so easy to assess whether an organization is being transparent and how transparent it is. Just ask the following questions:

• Does the organization tell the truth, always? The whole truth or the truth with a spin?
• Does the organization openly share information with its internal and external stakeholders?
• Does the organization own up to its own mistakes, when they are made?
• Does the organization pretend to be something that it is not?