The Start of the Year: Communicating for Leadership Impact
As the new year begins, leaders ramp up efforts to inspire their teams and set the tone for success. We focus on communication, signing up for the latest skills training, and crafting plans with checklists like:
Company’s Mission and Purpose – check!
Goals and Strategy – check!
Team-building and Conference Venue – check!
Newsletter from the Big Boss – check!
Multi-channel Communication (emails, social media, videos, noticeboards, etc.) – check!
With so much effort invested, it feels like everything should fall into place. But here’s the truth: effective communication isn’t just about checking boxes.
In our rush to cover every detail, it’s easy to overlook these three subtle yet essential traits of impactful communication:
1. Simplify for Precision
More is not always better. Overloading your audience with information—shrinking font sizes to fit everything or racing through your presentation—dilutes your message.
To simplify isn’t to skim the surface; it’s to deliver precision. Trade quantity for clarity and impact.
2. Listen to Engage
Too often, leaders communicate to their teams instead of engaging with them. Remember, communication is a two-way loop.
As Audrey McLaughlin said:
“When you listen, it's amazing what you can learn. When you act on what you've learned, it's amazing what you can change.”
Your team will know when they’re truly heard—and they’ll respond with trust and engagement.
3. Balance Head with Heart
Logic and emotion are the Yin and Yang of communication. Neuroscience shows that decision-making isn’t purely logical—it’s deeply emotional, with logic playing a supporting role.
To create action, you need both:
Logic to provide structure and reasoning.
Emotion to inspire and motivate.
A balanced approach ensures your message moves people—not just their minds but their hearts, too.
The Art of Leadership Communication
At its core, leadership is about creating lasting impact beyond immediate goals. Communication is central to achieving this.
As James Humes once said:
“The art of communication is the language of leadership.”
As you chart the year ahead, focus not just on what you say but how you say it. Simplify, listen, and balance logic with emotion to inspire your team to reach new heights.
Groundbreaking Discovery Reference
Antonio Damasio's research on decision-making: Big Think Article
