Evocative images and events have always propelled causes and controversies, but not always from such obscure, unexpected, or geographically remote sources — or with such speed. In the past, controversies brewed when people came together, and they were transmitted, if the controversies grew active enough, by a limited number of media outlets, which also served as gatekeepers. Today’s controversies, by contrast, spring to life in myriad, overlapping online communities and get distributed via networks of unaccountable independent agents sharing information in real time. The capacity to generate causes and controversies almost instantly is perhaps the most salient aspect of what we call the “super-transparent society,” which has rapidly become a new norm. Because it has formed so recently, most people, especially leaders of organizations, have not yet come to grips with how much the world has changed or with the benefits and risks of living and leading in an era of super-transparency.
Our research explores the causes of these changes, the nature of the new reality that results, and the implications for organizations and their leaders. In aggregate, the changes amount to a fundamental shift in what is commonly known and knowable that invalidates some assumptions and practices we’ve previously relied upon. Executives need to understand this shift and how it changes the rules with regard to competitive markets, their company’s relationships with customers, the broader political contexts in which they operate, and beyond.