Four things effective leaders should learn
“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” Attributed to George Bernard Shaw, this is one of the most quoted statements about communication and one of the most accurate. The importance of effective communication for leaders cannot be underestimated.
So, I asked several skilled and experienced communication professionals—filmmakers, storytellers, PR professionals, corporate communications specialists and more from a variety of backgrounds including freelance, consultancy, higher education, manufacturing and humanitarian—what advice they would offer leaders and aspiring leaders on effective communication.
The interviews took place over a couple of weeks. The purpose: to create a series of recorded interviews to include as part of the Communication for Leaders unit in Avondale University’s MBA program. I’ve found including the voices of practitioners helps MBA students contextualise and apply the principles and ideas they’re learning, making their learning practical and relevant.
Three themes emerged from these interviews that addressed the what, who and how questions for effective leadership, with a fourth theme emphasising what everyone loves to hear. The themes are:
1. Have something to say. The number one piece of advice all the communicators had was to ensure you have something to say. Not just any generic “motherhood” statement but a clear and consistent message about your vision and purpose. All communications should reinforce this. And ensure the message you’re sending best represents you or your organisation and is what you want people to remember.
2. Different audiences require different approaches but not a different message. There are so many different audiences—internal or external, for example—you need to be thinking about when communicating. One thing became clear during the interviews: adjust how you communicate the message but stick to the core message.
3. Of all the different mediums, digital is the most important. While there are so many different mediums to use for effective communication, digital is the one leaders need to consider most. Ask your MarComms team to adapt your message for social media, create a podcast, or brush up on your Microsoft Teams or Zoom skills. Are you using an electronic newsletter or a blog or posting videos to your website or YouTube channel? Across cultures, countries and generations, digital is how people are consuming information, and if you want to be effective, you must use it, too.
4. Everyone loves a story. The power of story is incalculable. We’ve passed down the big principles of life through stories for millennia—Jesus used them in His teachings. Leaders who communicate most effectively know we love stories and use them to support, illustrate and translate their messages. Stories, particularly those that are succinct, create connection and engagement. Digital mediums such as video are perfect for leaders to share their message to large numbers of people while still creating connection and engagement.
I learnt so much from spending time with these people, exploring their ideas and drawing from their experiences. Our MBA students are going to enjoy the interviews that summarise well the key lessons for any leader looking to communicate effectively.
Photograph
Photograph by Luis Molinero from www.freepik.com.
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