Communication is Leadership

Communication skills are essential for leaders to have in their tool kit. By developing strong listening skills, understanding the needs of their audience, and being clear and consistent in their messaging, business leaders can effectively engage and lead more cohesive and motivated teams.

“Communication is the key to influencing others and creating powerful teams, relationships, and joint forces to achieve successful outcomes.” - Cheryl Keates, PCC, Forbes Coaches Council

In PwC’s Strategy+Business publication, Adam Bryant argues, “leaders have to communicate more, and better, to create a sense that everyone is part of a team.” Bryant quotes Kip Tindell, co-founder and former CEO of The Container Store, a Texas-based retail chain, from an interview they had in 2010: “One of our foundation principles is that leadership and communication are the same thing. Communication is leadership.”

The 5 Cs of Communication

When preparing for a meeting or a presentation - or writing a company-wide memo, credible leaders should consider asking themselves five questions to determine the effectiveness of their communication.

1. Is the style of communication conversational?

2. Is the message concise?

3. Is the content compelling?

4. Is it clear and easy to comprehend?

5. Are the facts (and grammar) correct?

Be Conversational

A conversational tone puts an audience at ease and makes them more receptive to the communicator’s messaging. This style of communication also conveys that the communicator is open to listening and having a dialogue with the audience. An engaged audience is more likely to provide constructive feedback to a conversational communicator that is both compelling and curious.

“A more conversational writing tone shortens the distance between author and audience. It feels more real, which is what everyone craves at a time when we are living more of our lives online.”

- Adam Bryant

Be Concise

In addition to a conversational communication style, leaders should remember to keep it simple (the K.I.S.S. rule). To effectively reach your target audience, Forbes recommends that marketers “eliminate all industry jargon and acronyms, and identify opportunities to add a few witty or quirky words that will get people’s attention.” (Sometimes the use of acronyms is unavoidable.)

Be Compelling

All leaders practice public relations in one way or another. The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) defines public relations as “a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.” By identifying a ‘win-win’ outcome in advance of each conversation, leaders can better frame the compelling reasons for their audience to act. Communicators must also be cognizant of the audience’s capability (i.e., availability, habits, reading ability, prior knowledge, etc.) and the context of the communication in order to maximize their influence and incentive action.

Provide Clarity (Be Clear)

Harvard Business Review simply recommends using “short words to talk about hard things… When you make things simple, you’re not dumbing down the content. You’re outsmarting the competition.” A lack of conciseness and clarity in the communicator’s messaging will result in inaction and reduced engagement by the audience.

Be Credible (Ensure Correctness)

A credible leader’s communications should be ‘correct’ on several levels:

• Grammar and spelling;

• Facts; and

• Appropriateness for the audience.

Conclusion

When a communicator errs on any of the factors of effective communication, the audience’s confidence in the leader begins to ebb. Leadership in communication results in higher engagement, increased motivation to act, and a more cohesive, focused team.

Rather than preparing content in a silo, leaders should form a trusted team of advisors to collaborate and review communications in advance to confirm the content meets the five Cs of communication.

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