Communication is the Foundation of Good Leadership

An explanation on why communication is the foundation on which good leadership is built

A simple Google search will pull up hundreds of leadership classes, training opportunities, and conferences focused on the core principles of leadership. Leadership is a hot commodity, and that’s a good thing. In a world where employees leave organizations because of their bosses, cultivating and supporting good leaders is a must. An innumerable number of books and courses exist—describing in great detail—the best way to lead people, inspire brilliant outcomes, mentor, and harness the best qualities of those under one’s charge. What so many—too many—of these classes, books, and training opportunities fail to highlight is the foundation upon which all leadership is built: good communication.

Communication is not just the sharing of information in spoken or written form. It is the method by which we exchange core principles of who we are, how we wish to be seen, and how we wish to motivate those around us. Without a solid foundation of best-practice communication skills, even the most talented, skilled, and adept leaders will fail in their mission to lead others. Beyond simple word choice or a clever turn-of-phrase, good leadership and good communication are about trust. The best leaders instill a sense of trust in those they lead, and trust comes from both their actions and their words. Many highly talented leaders who are experts in their field have no idea how to talk to people. As a consequence, those positional leaders fail to garner trust, fail to inspire, and invariably fail to lead.

The consequences of poor leadership are not just detrimental to a business—they are costly. Leaders who fail to communicate well will create unnecessary turnover, reduce productivity, and ultimately cost money. The most skilled and talented employees will seek out better alternatives. Even if it takes them time to find a new job, their motivation to thrive at their current job will only continue to wane. The cost to recruit new talent, train them, and bring them up to speed alone is an unexpected burden, let alone the expense of lost productivity. So much of this is easily avoidable if only leaders understood how and when to talk to their employees.

That raises the second and arguably more important point: employees are people, not widgets. They deserve to work in an environment that is supportive and engaging. To foster this type of environment, leaders must communicate regularly, openly, and in the right way with their team (corporate speak is not—and never will be—good communication). This is an easily learnable skill that few organizations invest the proper resources or time to train or encourage.

Moreover, organizations themselves struggle with internal communication. While focusing on customers is important, forgetting that the employees are the ones delivering products and services to customers is all too common. By not communicating, and communicating well with employees, companies are doing a disservice to themselves and their employees. Regular, predictable communication eliminates rumor mills, which can decrease employee morale. Well-delivered messaging encourages buy-in and promotes a culture of transparency, reducing apathy and fear. All of these are not only good for the bottom line, they are also good for the people who are making that bottom line a reality.

Before jumping at that next leadership conference, take a moment to see if it is built on a foundation of good communication. Seek out opportunities to grow and expand your communication skills. If you are in a leadership position, ask yourself, and then ask your employees—are we doing a good job of communicating? I’ve worked with hundreds of organizations, ranging from 5 person teams to 4,000 employees. Unless there is a real commitment from the top of the organization—and reinforced at every level—to prioritize good messaging, the answer is almost always the same: no.

To learn more about Connection Point and how we can help elevate your internal and external communications strategy, please visit: teamcp.co/services