The Single Most Important Element in Business

by William P. Robinson

"...you are the light of the world..." Matthew 5:14-16

Light. I would say that light is the single most important element in business. The light of transparency builds trust. And trust breeds trust. I love the way the Renaissance artists used self-portraits in their paintings. Actually, this is why I consider myself a Renaissance man. In my family, I am famous for holding a camera at arm’s length and shooting myself right into the picture. In fact, through this form of advanced photography, I discovered truth in that old saying, “Behind every good man is a woman rolling her eyes.” The picture didn’t lie. Our eyes told the story. My eyes said love and pride. My wife’s eyes said, “I can’t believe I married this nut.”

Recently, I was in Washington, D.C., and had a chance to visit the National Gallery of Art for roughly the twentieth time. It is my favorite art collection. At the time, it was hosting an exhibit of the late religious portraits of one of my favorite artists—Rembrandt. People who know even less than I do about art know that this Dutch master has no peer in his use of light on dark and suffused shadows. In his late religious paintings, the contrasts were even sharper than in his earlier works—more darkness, brighter light.

Rembrandt helps make the argument for light as the most important element in business. Our daughter Brenna gave me a book of poems by Marilyn McEntyre on Rembrandt’s religious paintings entitled Drawn to the Light. And that is exactly what you experience standing before his paintings. The light shines so brightly against dark interiors that your eyes move instantly away from the shadows to the light. The contrast animates the light.

In business, the lights of openness and transparency shine brightly against the recent scandals percolated in secrecy. When we commit to transparency in the workplace, trust follows. We need to ask ourselves “Why wouldn’t we make as much information available as possible to our coworkers?” rather than “Why should we make plans, budgets, expense reports, and various deliberations available?” Common answers to the second question include, “They wouldn’t understand,” or “It’s none of their business.” What a demeaning view of our colleagues!

Maybe it would help us flip the light switch on if we thought of our business associates as friends. Jesus appealed to transparency when he defined friendship. In John 15:15, he said, “I don’t call you servants, because a servant doesn’t know what his master is doing, but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you what the Father has made known to me.”

Drawn to the light. Our customers, our coworkers, and our business associates are drawn to the light, drawn to our openness. When I entered the second room of the Rembrandt exhibit, I noticed something immediately. Amidst the paintings bearing small splashes of light against vast ambient darkness, one shone light more than any other. It was the painting of the resurrected Christ, and John’s words came to me, “...the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” In business and in life, we are called to be light. Jesus is the light.

Creating transparency is difficulty. What is one small thing you can do to begin creating transparency?

Editor's Note: This piece originally appeared on The High Calling. This artwork is Rembrandt's The Risen Christ Appearing to Mary Magdalen.

Comments

Marcus Goodyear

Transparency and accountability go hand in hand for me. I try to shine light onto whatever I am doing, measure it and compare the results to the goals. And I do my best to be transparent about this process. It isn't particularly sexy to talk about new user growth rates and subscription growth and retention and engagement and blah blah blah.

But that kind of transparency and accountability keeps me honest and human. (Because my numbers aren't always good, let me tell you.)

Here's the challenge. Transparency is more than just an issue of intentionality. If I want to be transparent, but I communicate my ideas poorly, then I'm like a stained glass window. Everyone wonders what I am saying, but they never really see through my words to understand what I'm trying to show them.

This kind of communication takes time. Again, it isn't sexy to slow down productivity in order to engage in reflection, but that's where transparency always leads me.

Tim S.

While your article flows with feel good sentiment, your knowledge of busniess is minimal at best.

Glenda Fieldes

Brilliant Sir ! The very thing as a quality manager I am sttptin to embed into am organization that has I'm the past had minimal accountability and lited transparency ( let alone effective reporting) kudos to you sir great article!

laura

I agree with all that you say

and we live but this principle - as hard as it is.

But I am sorry to say that i have to agree with Tim S.

Both my husband and I live out this principle - to shed light... to be salt - in all our dealings.

And do it carefully and not to offend.

but i can PROMISE you that we have BOTH lost our jobs because of this. and we worked in TOTALLY seperate companies.

The huge corporations do NOT want truth. They do NOT want LIGHT.

they make business in feeding people - customers and employees - LIES.

and if you dont tow the line and do the same - you are NOT part of the system.

And i tell you one thing - i have worked for a Christian NGO - same thing. They 'embelsihed' the stats so that they could make a 'bigger impact'- i told them at the monthly manager's meeting - this is lying.... i was out within two months........

Exaggeration IS LYING - to me. But not to all.

Rob

Interesting article. He really seems to think that transparency is the way to go in the workplace, which probably isn't bad advice. I do find it somewhat funny that he uses Jesus as the ultimate example of being transparent. I would agree that he was very much that way with his disciples, but he was very cryptic with the crowds. He almost made a point that they would be "ever seeing but never perceiving". To me, that is almost exactly like what the department head acts like when his inner circle know everything, but the rest of the organization may not. Even though he uses Jesus as the example, I think this article actually condemns the style of communication that Jesus uses throughout the gospels.

I think being transparent in the workplace is generally a good thing, and I think it was fine for Jesus to not be immediately transparent with who he was and what he was trying to do. I guess I just don't see the same connection the author of this article does.

Marcus Goodyear

Good point, Rob. I like the idea that Jesus was transparent with those he trusted, but guarded with those he didn't trust. Now that is some good business advice.

dong

two things I've found to be very helpful in the last 6 years working in china with business and government people:

“behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves." (matthew 10:16)

"hundred ways of calculating can not compare to a pure and simple heart" (an old Chinese saying)

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