So what does transparent leadership look like in the real world? Consider Brenda Rivers, CEO of Andavo Travel, a $70 million travel company based in Denver. Not long after Rivers purchased the company in 1991, when it was a $15 million leisure agency, the travel industry met serious challenges in commission cuts from airlines and the Internet, which allowed consumers to easily bypass travel agencies. Rivers and her 98 employees managed to reinvent their business model and continue growing while many agencies in the industry were staving off starvation. Then came September 11, 2001, and suddenly travel was the last thing on Americans’ minds. “Nothing could have prepared us for 9/11,” Rivers said. “It had a profound impact on us and shook the very foundation of our industry.”

Tens of thousands of people were laid off in the industry—including employees from major airlines, call centers, and agencies—and Rivers also could have downsized her staff and maybe even dusted off her law degree, readying herself for better opportunities. Instead, no Andavo employees were laid off, and the year following 9/11 was the company’s best year ever in revenues and profit margins.

How did Andavo achieve such success in the face of a catalog of bumpy changes and a roiling marketplace? The answer is in part due to sound business strategy, because Andavo, as already mentioned, had prepared itself for industry shifts by changing from a traditional agency to an Internet-based travel company that also offers traditional personalized service. However, another key element to Andavo’s success was Rivers, who captained her crew with a clear commitment to transparency, practiced in ways that only a credible leader would.

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