The Transparent Leader: How to Build a Great Company Through Straight Talk, Openness, and Accountability

It seems that over the past few years these words didn't mean very much. From Enron to WorldCom, corporate America was rocked with scandal after scandal. Employees lost their savings and jobs, investors lost their shirts, and the public lost their confidence in big business -- the foundation of this nation's well-being.

In his new book, The Transparent Leader, Herb Baum, CEO of the Dial Corporation, brings us back to the basics of transparency and good corporate behavior. In his folksy, down-to-earth style, Baum reminds us of the way things used to be, and he teaches corporate executives how to be transparent leaders and in turn create transparent companies. Using examples from his experience at Dial, Campbell Soup Company, and Quaker State, Baum shows readers:

• The Power of Transparency -- the crucial components of a transparent organization, including the qualities of transparent leaders and employees and how they can benefit your company


• The Pillars of Transparency -- integrity, honesty, quality corporate governance, and effective communication


• How to execute transparency in the organization through real-life examples.

By applying these ideas to your own work life, you will become an open and transparent leader, setting an example for the employees in your organization to follow. The transparent leader is the cornerstone of a transparent and in turn successful company.

In this day and age, the only way to succeed in the business world is to stick to the rules of transparency. And if you don't, bad business practices will eventually return to haunt you and your organization.

Herb Baum is the former president and CEO of the Dial Corporation and previously served as CEO of Quaker State Corporation, and president of Hasbro.

Tammy Kling is the author of several books which have been featured in the national media. She is a graduate of the College of Journalism and Communications at the University of Florida.