By Mvuyo Tyobeka, CEO of SPM
Leadership is evolving, and the organisations that advance fastest are those where leaders communicate openly, and employees are invited into meaningful problem-solving. At SPM, this is not an aspiration. It shapes how we work and how we plan for the future.
In our environment, silence creates uncertainty. When people are informed, they see the bigger picture and understand how their effort strengthens the business. They connect daily decisions to long-term outcomes. This clarity forms the basis of our approach.
Employees contribute insights that reflect the reality of our work on the ground. We see this in logistics, operations, SHERQ, finance and HR. These teams face challenges in real time. They notice inefficiencies that dashboards miss and identify patterns that point to opportunity. When this information reaches leadership without filters, it sharpens strategic decisions and reinforces a culture where people know their thinking influences the direction of the organisation.
Global practice mirrors what we experience. Companies across Europe and Asia are involving frontline employees in discussions once limited to executives. Manufacturing firms in Japan have raised productivity by drawing on worker insight. German engineering companies bring technicians into planning cycles to avoid blind spots. American technology firms use wider information sharing to improve decision-making. Across these varied contexts, one truth holds. Organisations strengthen when information moves freely, and people feel trusted to contribute.
South Africa brings its own pressures. Energy constraints, supply chain disruptions and shifting client needs require agility. The instinct in such conditions may be to limit information. Our experience, supported by international evidence, shows that openness builds resilience. When people understand what the company is navigating, they stabilise the organisation from within. They adjust quickly, offer solutions leadership may not see and work with purpose because they know what is at stake.
Transparency does something else that is often overlooked. It creates psychological safety. When people know they will not be excluded from discussions or judged for raising concerns, they speak with more clarity. They ask questions that surface hidden risks. They engage with challenges instead of avoiding them. This strengthens the quality of decisions and improves the speed at which the company can correct its course. Psychological safety is not a soft idea. It is a driver of operational excellence.
It also deepens collective learning. Every organisation sits on knowledge that never reaches the boardroom because it is locked inside teams. When transparency becomes the norm, that knowledge is unlocked. People learn from one another. Lessons travel faster. Solutions developed in one area become useful in another. The organisation begins to function as a single system rather than a set of isolated units. This is how capability grows.
Periods of change test whether transparency is real or rhetorical. When markets shift or clients adjust their expectations, people look to leadership for clarity. If information is withheld, uncertainty intensifies. When leaders communicate honestly, even when the answers are still evolving, people remain steady. They do not retreat into anxiety. They mobilise. They focus on solutions. This is why we treat transparency as a discipline, not a convenience.
At SPM, transparency is part of how we operate. It involves being open about challenges, acknowledging risks and seeking input even when issues are complex. It means allowing people to shape the choices the organisation makes. This strengthens performance because direction becomes shared. Accountability grows naturally when people recognise they are part of the solution.
The future belongs to organisations that treat employees as partners in progress. Innovation rarely emerges from a narrow group of voices. It comes from people who know the work, the clients and the rhythm of operations. Leaders succeed when they create the conditions for that intelligence to surface. When we do this, we gain clarity, avoid missteps and build an organisation that adapts with confidence.
Our vision is clear. Keep information open. Keep people involved. Keep building SPM as a place where performance is a collective achievement. Transparency strengthens trust. Trust strengthens action. Action strengthens the organisation. Through openness, we prepare SPM for a future shaped by shared insight and steady ambition.
