While Agile practices like daily stand-up meetings, retrospectives, and so on are huge enablers for the team to be transparent, they are not effective unless people in the team have embraced transparency as a value. A team with an Agile mindset is transparent in "words, deeds, and spirit" not only among themselves, but also with stakeholders outside the team, namely, other teams in the business and leadership.

The word "brutal" is used to emphasize that transparency should not be selective, that is, it must exist under all circumstances, both good and bad, and also with all people, regardless of their stature or seniority. Given that trust is the primary enabler as well as an outcome of transparency, leaders and managers need to be extra cautious about punishing the "messenger" who brings bad news.

People being transparent with each other is not just about being open about what they are working on, but, more importantly, it is about a willingness to admit and accept mistakes and being able to recognize that they need help to solve a problem. People realize that being transparent, particularly about one's vulnerabilities, is the foundation on which trust is built, and that trust among the team members is perhaps the most critical element of agility in the team. Transparency indicates the courage to face reality as is, including limitations, shortfalls, failures and mistakes, learn from them and then work together with the concerned stakeholders to find the best way forward.