Are You an Open Leader?

The quality of a leader is reflected in the standards they set for themselves.
~ Ray Kroc

The mere idea of leadership can be overwhelming. This can be particularly true for an open source software developer who suddenly finds himself or herself thrust in a leadership position of a fast-growing community.

There’s no simple solution to overcoming this, but here’s a good suggestion: be an open leader.

Open source is centered around the community, on sharing information and responsibilities, and maintaining an openness that drives development. It’s only natural and fitting for leaders in this area to be open as well.

A Clearer Picture of Open Leadership

But what does being an “open” leader really mean?

The typical view of leadership is vertically inclined, meaning power and direction often comes from the very top and trickles down to subordinates below. There are formal lines of authority and structures of hierarchy. Decisions and information flow unilaterally, with leaders telling subordinates what to do and even how to do it.

Open leadership is different. When leadership is open, hierarchical structures make way for a more fluid and agile way of doing things. It empowers all members of a community and not just those at the top to make crucial decisions and get things done.

One of the keys to leadership is recognizing that everybody has gifts and talents. A good leader will learn how to harness those gifts toward the same goal. ~Ben Carson

An open leader recognizes that each member of his or her team has unique skills and ideas, and trusts that each will apply their skills for the betterment of the project. Not one to micromanage, an open leader encourages autonomy among his members, allowing each to find the right solutions to problems on their own.

Transparency is key with open leadership, and so is communication. An open leader doesn’t make decisions and expect everyone to accept these decisions without question. He does his best to ensure that decisions and actions are made out in the open, and that members understand why these were made. He trusts that members are capable of understanding the bigger picture, and that they have the skills needed to achieve their goals without his constant intervention.

A leader is best when people barely know he exists… when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did this ourselves. ~Lao Tzu

Unlike typical controlling leaders that focus on position and power, an open leader focuses on the roles that each member of the community plays. His brand of leadership does not revolve around the power to influence progress, but on the confidence and power that can be distributed among members. He knows that when members are empowered, they will show more initiative, creativity, engagement and persistence. They will view the project not as someone else’s accomplishment but their own.

The most fundamental thing about leadership is to have the humility to continue to get feedback and to try to get better – because your job is to try to help everybody else get better. ~Jim Yong Kim

Finally, an open leader is one who is always open to change for the better. He is open and humble enough to receive feedback from his members, treating them as equals while still maintaining his authority. He maintains authority not through absolute control, but by properly guiding and setting the right example for the entire organization.

So Are You an Open Leader?

As shown in the few examples above, open leadership runs parallel with the ideologies many great leaders have expressed regarding leadership in general, making open leadership ideal not only in open source communities but in many other organizational settings. But like all ideals, it requires effort and willingness to achieve. It will also take constant self-reflection, humility and of course openness to change to truly become an open leader.