A Leadership Lesson from the Amsterdam Window

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Night view of an illuminated canal with arched bridge and row of buildings in Amsterdam. Text overlay says "Do You Know the Amsterdam Window?.

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Have you ever seen an Amsterdam window? If you’ve strolled through the charming concentric canals of Amsterdam, you may have noticed something curious…

The windows of the canal houses are immense, and almost none have curtains or coverings.

Why is that?

The answer offers an important lesson for leaders.

For background, the tradition of large, uncovered windows in Amsterdam dates back to the modest Calvinist period. At that time, the wealthy demonstrated their prosperity subtly by paying higher window taxes. More importantly, the lack of curtains served a practical purpose.

In the words of writer Joanna Tweedy, “The centuries-old glass, beautifully imperfect, frames the olive-green waters outside and lets the natural light and the eyes of curious tourists pour in.”

One visitor to Amsterdam, Vineet Nayar, once asked a friend, “Why no curtains?”

The friend explained the practical reasons—to let in light and enjoy the canal view—but then added a striking observation:

“It forces us to keep our house clean.”

The bigger the windows, the more visible the dirt—to the homeowner and to passersby.

The act of making everything visible by default encourages upkeep and pride in one’s surroundings. The same principle applies to leadership and organizations.

Transparency allows teams to see both the successes and challenges, fostering trust and collaboration. The most important driver of employee engagement is the belief that senior management genuinely cares about their well-being.

Sharing information openly and showing employees how their work contributes to the organization’s success builds that critical trust.

As Louis Brandeis, a former U.S. Supreme Court Justice, wisely said,

“Sunlight is the best disinfectant.”

Transparency—like the Amsterdam window—brings clarity and accountability, allowing organizations to thrive by rooting out issues and building trust.

Takeaway: How are you opening your organization’s “windows” to foster transparency and demonstrate genuine care for your team’s well-being? Openness has a deeper implication: it ensures accountability. When everything is visible, nothing stays hidden for long.

Today’s Lagniappe (little something extra) – I lived in Amsterdam for three years back in the 2000s. One of the many quirks in the city was a latin inscription above a row of columns near Leidseplein, “Homo sapiens non urinat in ventum.” It’s a wonderful piece of advice. It translates to, “A wise person should not piss into the wind.”

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