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Leadership communication

The ability to convey direction and decisions clearly, to listen attentively and to handle difficult conversations. The foundation of trust and collaboration in any team.

Communication as the leader's work

Studies of managerial work (Henry Mintzberg, 1973) showed that most of a leader's time is spent in conversation - one-to-one, in meetings, on the phone. Leadership happens in communication: through it the leader sets direction, builds relationships and makes decisions.

Attentive listening

Carl Rogers and Richard Farson described active listening (1957): full attention, listening for meanings and feelings, not only words, and reflecting back what was heard. Stephen Covey put it as his fifth habit: “Seek first to understand, then to be understood” (The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People). The Letter of James urges: “let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak” (Jas 1:19).

Practical techniques:

  • paraphrase - “Do I understand correctly that...”;
  • open questions - “What is hardest for you in this?”;
  • naming emotions - “I hear that you are disappointed”;
  • silence - giving the other person time.

Clarity of message

Leaders communicate vision, goals and decisions. Good principles:

  • repetition - vision must be communicated many times through many channels (Kotter speaks of under-communicating it by a factor of ten);
  • “what” and “why” - people need meaning, not only instructions (see golden circle);
  • consistency of words and deeds - the leader's behaviour speaks louder than speeches;
  • transparency of decisions - who decided and on what basis (see transparency).

Difficult conversations

An important part of a leader's communication is the conversations we naturally avoid: correction, refusal, conflict, ending someone's service. Helpful tools include feedback, Marshall Rosenberg's nonviolent communication (observation - feelings - needs - request) and models of conflict resolution. The Gospel proposes an order of fraternal correction: first one-to-one, then with witnesses, and only then before the community (Matt 18:15-17).

Communication is one of the main modules of the Akademia Przywództwa postgraduate studies, and “attentive listening and the dialogue loop” is a module of the Animator and Leader Toolkit course.

Sources

H. Mintzberg, The Nature of Managerial Work, Harper & Row 1973 C. R. Rogers, R. E. Farson, Active Listening, University of Chicago 1957 S. R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, 1989 M. B. Rosenberg, Nonviolent Communication, PuddleDancer Press 1999 J. P. Kotter, Leading Change, 1996 Jas 1:19; Matt 18:15-17 Akademia Przywództwa, Studies and Toolkit programmes, akademiaprzywodztwa.pl

See also

Character and Values

Trust

Willingness to be vulnerable to another party in the expectation that they will not exploit it. The currency of leadership - built slowly and lost quickly.

Competencies

Vision, mission and values

Giving direction - the first of a leader's tasks. Mission says why we exist, vision where we are going, and values how we want to behave along the way.

Competencies

Conflict resolution

The ability to recognise and handle conflict so that it serves the team's growth. The Thomas-Kilmann model describes five strategies: competing, collaborating, compromising, avoiding and accommodating.

Competencies

Feedback

Telling others how their behaviour affects the work and people - to reinforce what is good and correct what needs correcting. A key tool for developing people.

Competencies

Emotional intelligence

The ability to recognise, understand and manage one's own emotions and to recognise others' emotions and build relationships. Popularised by Daniel Goleman as a key leadership competency.