How Great Leaders Communicate Differently: The Power Of A Consistent Cadence

Effective communication is the language of leadership.??

It would be great if communication were as simple as saying something once and penetrating the hearts and minds of everyone you are trying to communicate with. However, you know that’s not the case.??

More often than not, leaders fail to be effective communicators. According to a Fierce study, 86% of employees and executives cite ineffective communication as a cause of workplace failures. HBR found that 69% of managers are not comfortable communicating with their employees.?

Clearly, communication and the communication skills of managers are a problem.? However, the biggest mistake leaders make is forgetting a fundamental principle that I wrote about in Building the Best:

Communication has more to do with the audience than the person communicating.??

It is a leader’s job to find different ways to connect with?their team to ensure they not only hear what’s being said but understand it.?

Leader as the “CRO”

For any leader to be an effective communicator, they must take on the role of the CRO.? Which stands for “Chief Repetition Officer.”? Most managers complain about having to repeat themselves.? If this is you, stop complaining and start embracing the challenge of saying the same things in different ways to get to the hearts and minds of your people. Said differently:

Look at your responsibility to communicate with others as a blessing, not a burden.

Don’t be a bitter leader complaining about team members not understanding your words.? Some people don’t have an active audience to influence and reinforce messages to, but you do.?Having an audience to communicate with is a blessing, not a burden.? You aren’t guaranteed an audience, and you don’t know when the words you say will run out of meaning, so make the most of it by repeating yourself often.?

Adopt a Communication Cadence

According to research, leaders are nine times more likely to be criticized for undercommunicating than over-communicating. The best leaders understand this and refuse to allow communication to?happen by chance.? Instead, they adopt a cadence of communication to ensure consistent performance. On a?recent episode of the John Eades Podcast , CEO of Thompson Child & Family Focus, Will Jones said, “You have to be intentional about communicating to your team, and a consistent cadence is key.”?

Jones continued and provided a simple way to think about communication by asking yourself three simple questions:

• What do I know??
• Who needs to know it?
• Have I told them well?”

These what, who, and have questions can be powerful ways to determine a specific communication message. However, the best leaders are focused on the bigger picture and ensure a cadence of communication that matches the performance they are working to deliver.?

You have to be intentional about communicating to your team, and a consistent cadence is key.?

Here is an example of a template for a leadership communication cadence that I teach in the Accelerate Leadership Program.?

If you would like examples and a fully?downloadable communication cadence, you can get it here .?

Closing

Consistent performance has a cadence, and so should your communication. Remember, effective communication is the language of leadership. Don’t push those one-on-one meetings with team members; be consistent. Send a weekly update to your team; the consistency compounds.??

Incorporating a regular communication cadence reinforces your leadership and fosters a sense of reliability and trust within your team. Start today, and watch your leadership influence grow more robust and more impactful.

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Leadership Communication Cadence Template: Are you responsible for having consistence cadence with a team.? You can download the?Communication Cadence Tool Here.?

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About the Author: John Eades is the CEO of LearnLoft and the creator of the Accelerate Leadership System . He was named one of LinkedIn’s Top Voices. John is also the author of Building the Best: 8 Proven Leadership Principles to Elevate Others to Success . You can follow him on Instagram @johngeades .