Openness

The ability to create an environment where individuals feel comfortable sharing ideas, feedback, and concerns. This competency reflects a willingness to listen, consider diverse perspectives, and foster transparent communication, enabling leaders to build trust, strengthen relationships, and inspire collaboration in dynamic settings. Fundamentally this is about being approachable.

“Great leaders truly care about those they are privileged to lead and understand that the true cost of the leadership privilege comes at the expense of self-interest.” Simon Sinek

Why openness matters

Approachability determines what a leader actually finds out, not just how pleasant they seem to work with. Bad news, early warning signs, and half-formed ideas that haven’t been fully thought through yet only reach a leader if the people who have them believe raising them is worth the risk. An unapproachable leader isn’t necessarily disliked, they’re simply the last to know.

The cost compounds quietly: small concerns that could have been addressed early get held until they’re too large to ignore, good ideas that needed encouragement to develop never get voiced at all, and the leader ends up deciding on a narrower set of information than everyone around them actually had. By the time a problem becomes visible enough for an unapproachable leader to see it themselves, it has usually been visible to the team for weeks.

“Hospitality means primarily the creation of free space where the stranger can enter and become a friend instead of an enemy.” Henri Nouwen

What good and bad openness looks like

Bad	Good
Says “my door is always open” but reacts with visible irritation the first time someone actually walks through it with bad news.	Notices their own reaction when someone brings difficult news, and consciously makes it easier, not harder, for the next person to do the same.
Waits for people to come forward with concerns, assuming silence means everything is fine.	Actively asks specific, quieter people for their view, rather than waiting for the most confident voices to fill the silence.
Treats every interaction as equally rushed, giving the same clipped attention to a hallway comment as to a scheduled meeting.	Adjusts pace deliberately in unplanned moments, since it’s often the offhand comment, not the scheduled meeting, where the real concern surfaces.
Assumes their own warmth and good intentions are obvious, without accounting for the effect their formal authority has on how people read them.	Actively compensates for the distance the role itself creates, since hierarchy generates caution regardless of how genuinely warm the leader is.
Responds to a raised concern by immediately explaining why it isn’t actually a problem.	Responds to a raised concern by first confirming it’s been understood, before assessing whether it needs to be solved.
Only appears approachable to people who are already similar to them or already confident enough to initiate.	Notices which parts of the team rarely approach them at all, and works out why.
Treats a single friendly interaction as proof that approachability has been established for good.	Treats approachability as something built and re-earned continuously, not a trait acquired once and retained automatically.
Reads a quiet team as a sign that there’s nothing worth raising.	Reads a quiet team as a signal worth investigating, since silence is at least as often a symptom of low trust as of genuine calm.

“A genuine smile is inviting, contagious, encouraging, and brings joy into the world. It instantly tells others that you are glad to see them, that they are important and you are approachable.” Susan C. Young

Barriers to openness

Arrogance: Leaders who project superiority, whether through tone, dismissiveness, or an unwillingness to be questioned, create a barrier that has nothing to do with their actual expertise. People stop bringing things to a leader long before they’d ever say the leader was arrogant to their face.

Insensitivity: A leader who is genuinely unaware of how their words or decisions land on others isn’t necessarily unkind, but the effect is the same as if they were: people learn not to bring feelings or concerns to someone who doesn’t seem to register them.

Judgmental: Leaders who are quick to evaluate an idea, a mistake, or a person can intimidate others into silence, since the risk of visible disapproval often outweighs the benefit of speaking up. Once someone has been on the receiving end of that judgment once, they rarely offer a second opportunity.

Lack of self-confidence: A leader who visibly doubts their own standing can make others hesitant to bring things to them, worried about how a fragile response might land or whether the leader even has the bandwidth to help. Approachability requires enough presence for people to trust that raising something won’t become the leader’s problem to manage emotionally.

Shyness: Some leaders find it genuinely difficult to initiate or sustain conversation, and this can be misread as coldness rather than what it usually is, discomfort with the social mechanics of connecting rather than any lack of care. Left unaddressed, that misread becomes the team’s actual experience of the leader regardless of the leader’s real intent.

Busyness: A leader who is constantly rushing between meetings, even for legitimate reasons, signals unavailability whether or not that’s the message intended. People calibrate whether something is worth interrupting a busy leader for, and most things quietly lose that calibration.

Intense personality: A leader whose energy, directness, or passion reads as intensity can create an atmosphere people find bracing rather than inviting, even when the underlying intent is enthusiasm rather than intimidation. The gap between intent and impact here is usually invisible to the leader until someone tells them directly.

Poor listening skills: Interrupting, multitasking, or visibly waiting to speak rather than actually processing what’s being said tells people their input isn’t really being received, whatever the leader believes about their own attentiveness. Once someone concludes they weren’t really heard, they stop testing that theory a second time.

Inability to read social cues: Missing the hesitation, the half-finished sentence, or the body language that signals someone wants to say more but isn’t sure they should, means real opportunities for connection pass by unnoticed. The leader isn’t rejecting the person, they simply never register that an opening existed.

Positional distance: Even a genuinely warm and skilled leader can be experienced as unapproachable simply because of the authority the role carries. Hierarchy itself makes people weigh whether something is worth raising with someone who holds real power over their work, regardless of how that leader actually behaves.

Punishing honesty after inviting it: A leader who says their door is open but visibly bristles, deflects, or retaliates the one time someone brings genuinely difficult news teaches the entire team not to bother, no matter how many times the invitation gets repeated afterward. Approachability is judged by what happens after someone takes the risk, not by how welcoming the invitation sounded.

“There are people who feel they should be with you, but something is preventing them from coming close. Please can you just lower the frequency of your stern looking face and smile…and they will make you their habit.” Michael Bassey Johnson

Enablers of openness

Initiate interaction: Being approachable starts with making the first move. Extend a welcoming hand, initiate eye contact, and engage with a genuine question or piece of information. Make initial moments comfortable to encourage open communication.

Practice active listening: Approachable leaders excel at listening attentively without interrupting, asking clarifying questions, and restating what others have said to signal understanding. Refrain from instant judgment and offer advice only when it is solicited.

Share information: Approachable leaders are transparent and open, sharing insights, thoughts, and personal experiences. By confiding in others and offering valuable information, you can create a culture of trust and collaboration, inviting reciprocal sharing.

Build personal connections: Approachable leaders invest time in getting to know the people they work with, remembering personal details and interests beyond just work-related matters. Find common ground and establish connections with those around you.

Mind your body language: Convey openness and relaxation through your non-verbal cues, such as smiling, maintaining eye contact, and adopting an open posture. Avoid behaviours that signal disinterest or impatience so that your demeanour encourages approachability.

Ask curious questions: Approachable leaders prioritise curiosity over providing solutions, asking questions to better understand others’ perspectives and ideas.

Be universally approachable: Approachability should extend to all interactions, regardless of the person or context. Reflect on your comfort levels with different groups and strive to be approachable to all with open and positive behaviour across all conversations.

Overcome shyness: Leaders can overcome shyness by taking proactive steps to initiate contact, such as starting conversations and setting goals for social interaction outside of work. By gradually exposing yourself to new social situations, you can build confidence and improve your approachability.

Put others at ease: Approachable leaders actively work to create a comfortable atmosphere for others by reading social cues, offering hospitality, and sharing personal anecdotes. Make an effort to understand others, so that you foster trust and rapport.

Manage conflict: Approachable leaders understand that increased approachability may invite conflict, and they are prepared to handle it constructively. Listen empathetically to grievances or difference, encourage dialogue and problem-solve with the key stakeholders present.

Reward the honesty you invited: When someone brings you a genuinely difficult piece of news or a criticism, notice your own first reaction and make sure what you say next reinforces rather than punishes the fact that they told you. The single most effective way to build a reputation for approachability is how you respond the first time someone tests it.

“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” Stephen R. Covey

Self-reflection questions for openness

1. How often do you take the lead in initiating conversations or extending a warm welcome, ensuring you are the catalyst for interactions and fostering an approachable atmosphere?
2. Are you actively working on your listening skills by refraining from interrupting, asking clarifying questions, and withholding judgment to create a supportive environment for open conversation?
3. In what ways do you prioritise transparency and openness in sharing insights and personal experiences, so that you cultivate trust and strengthen connections within and beyond your team?
4. Can you recall personal details and interests about your colleagues beyond work-related matters, ensuring you actively build personal connection?

5. How mindful are you of your body language, such as maintaining eye contact and adopting an open posture, to convey approachability and create a relaxed atmosphere in your interactions?
6. Do you prioritise curiosity and co-solving over providing solutions, by using open and probing questions to understand others’ perspectives?
7. Have you reflected on your consistency in applying approachable behaviours across various contexts and groups, ensuring inclusivity and bridging any existing gaps in your interactions?
8. What proactive steps are you taking to overcome shyness, if present, such as initiating contact and gradually exposing yourself to social situations to build confidence?

9. How attentive are you to creating a comfortable atmosphere by reading social cues, sharing personal anecdotes, and offering hospitality to foster trust and rapport with others?
10. In handling conflicts, are you adept at listening empathetically, encouraging dialogue, and effectively managing your time to address them constructively?

“Self-reflection is the school of wisdom.” Baltasar Gracián

Micro practices for openness

1. Notice your first reaction: Next time someone brings you a piece of difficult news or criticism, pay attention to your own face and tone in that first second, before you’ve had time to compose a response. That unfiltered reaction is what people remember and calibrate their future honesty against.

2. Ask the person who hasn’t spoken: In your next team meeting, deliberately ask a direct question of whoever has said the least, rather than waiting to see if they volunteer. Silence is often availability, not agreement.

3. Slow down for the unplanned moment: Next time someone raises something in passing, a hallway, after a meeting, over chat, resist the urge to give it the same rushed attention as a scheduled interruption. These offhand moments are disproportionately where real concerns first surface.

4. Compensate for your role, not just your personality: Ask yourself who on your team is least likely to approach you unprompted, and reach out to that person directly this week. Don’t assume your own warmth cancels out the caution your position naturally creates.

5. Confirm before you fix: Next time someone raises a concern, respond first with a summary of what you heard, before offering any solution or defence. This single sequencing change alters how safe raising the next concern will feel.

6. Audit your own silence patterns: Once a quarter, ask honestly whether your team has gotten quieter recently, and if so, treat that as a signal to investigate rather than a sign that things are going smoothly.

“What you do every day matters more than what you do once in a while.” Gretchen Rubin

Explore related leadership resources

To further develop this capability, examine how it intersects with other core leadership dimensions across the libraries:

Supporting libraries

• Criticism tolerance (Traits): Leverage your ability to receive tough feedback without becoming defensive, which signals to your team that honesty is truly safe.
• Positive view of people (Traits): Approach every interaction with an inherent belief in the good intentions of others, naturally lowering barriers to communication.
• Optimism (EQ-i): Maintain a hopeful and constructive outlook that encourages others to share innovative ideas without fear of negative framing.
• Independence (EQ-i): Balance your openness with the self-directed confidence to process diverse inputs while staying true to your core leadership values.

Leadership library:

• Questions (Asking good): Demonstrate your openness by shifting from providing answers to inviting others’ expertise through powerful, curious inquiry.
• Listening: Create a true exchange of ideas by giving your full attention to others, ensuring they feel heard and their perspectives valued.
• Perspective Expansion: Actively seek out viewpoints that challenge your own to ensure your leadership remains inclusive and well-informed.
• Sizing People Up: Use your understanding of individual strengths to create safe spaces where people feel uniquely empowered to speak up.

Continue exploring: Return to the Leadership Library to view the full directory of competencies and resources.