Communicative Leadership

As I have discussed in this newsletter over the years, a good leader uses communication to multiply impact: their own, and of the people and resources around them.? The absence of effective communication dissipates and wastes time, energy and resources.? Instead of clarity and alignment about what must be achieved and when, there is discord and confusion.? Instead of everyone pulling together, people start coming apart.? Instead of motivation and purpose, there is ?nger-pointing and frustration.?

Effective communication makes a difference. It expands and amplifies impact. It enables a leader to collaborate with others to achieve their goals, together.

Good communication is vital to leadership.

People think effective communication is using as many words as possible and talking as long as possible, but it’s not.

• It is clear, concise, and spare – not elaborate.
• It is fewer, well-chosen words – not more, less-carefully chosen words.
• It is structured.
• It is pauses. It is silence and stopping. It is listening.
• It is communicating with someone – not talking at them.
• It’s not entertainment. It’s not just passing time.

The distinction with entertainment is this: when people watch TV or get entertained, their brain goes into an alpha wave pattern – it’s a relaxed pattern. It’s a lean-back kind of pattern. You’re being entertained but it’s passive.?

Effective communication is when both sides are engaged, and both sides are working. They’re not just passing time. They’re working together to achieve something better, together.

A lot of people think effective communication is about style – and what they end up delivering is something like cotton candy. It tastes delicious while you’re eating it, but it’s air. Like cotton candy, it melts away. It disappears. You don’t learn anything, you don’t do anything differently. Nothing changes. “Wow that cotton candy was good, but there’s nothing lasting, nutritious, or substantive.” It didn’t make any difference.