We’re often taught that communication is a ‘basic’ skill.
Unfortunately, ‘basic’ can be synonymous with both simplicity and importance, which is where the confusion arises.
Because when we start to see communication as just a simple skill, we assume that it’s something everyone can do, but this isn’t the case.
If that were true, we wouldn’t see so many conversations ending in individuals and entire teams feeling confused, disconnected, or unclear about what’s been said.
Communication is complex and especially crucial in leadership because at its core, communication in leadership drives three things: clarity, trust, and culture.
And those three elements shape performance.
Why is communication important in leadership?
Fortunately, the importance of communication in leadership is straightforward.
When communication is working smoothly and efficiently, people can move forward faster. But when it doesn’t, performance starts to slow down, or in some cases, break apart completely.
Often, the issue isn’t a lack of communication, it’s the understanding of what communication actually is.
What exactly is (and isn’t) communication for a leader?
Communication is not information
One of the biggest errors that leaders make is believing that once they’ve said something, they’ve effectively communicated with their team.
However, communication is not just what we say, it’s how we say it (typically using non-verbal actions such as eye contact, smiling, hand gestures) and what others will understand because of how it’s been said.
In fact, Albert Mehrabian’s research suggests that 93% of emotional communication is non-verbal, highlighting the importance of tone and body language in leadership communication.
When leaders focus on sending information rather than actively creating clarity – through their tone, eye contact, and other non-verbal actions – that’s where gaps in communication start to appear.
And in those gaps, confusion will grow, assumptions creep in, and ultimately performance goes the wrong way.
A simple test: if your message needs explaining afterwards, then it was probably information rather than communication.
Communication is about listening more than talking
Listening is also a key part of communication.
While it’s often treated as soft skill or ‘nice to have’, it’s the most important part and should be the fundamental starting point for every leader.
Because if leaders aren’t listening, then they don’t know how their message will land, what’s going on beneath the surface, or how people are really feeling.
Ultimately, they’re guessing what people need, making decisions in the dark, and losing perspective.
Subsequently, their team won’t feel heard and is more likely to disengage, feeding the low levels of employee engagement currently plaguing the USA, UK, and other European countries, including Spain, France, and Italy.
In fact, according to Gallup’s 2023 State of the Global Workplace Report, a significant 90% of UK employees are disengaged, with 69% of American and Canadian employees also reporting disengagement in the form of either quiet or loud quitting – directly impacting performance and productivity.
While disengagement is complex, one thing is clear: when people don’t feel heard, they stop fully showing up – making listening a core leader responsibility.
Communication puts connection first
An idea from the American author and leadership orator, John Maxwell – another effective way to think about communication is to look at it like making a phone call.
You might have the perfect message, but if the signal is poor or the person on the other end of the line doesn’t pick up, then it’s never going to land. We see it time and time again – leaders jump straight into delivering a message without first getting, and maintaining, that connection.
Without that ongoing trust and rapport, even the best messages can fall flat. And when messages don’t land, trust starts to erode. As a leader, this means focusing on connecting first before relaying your message.
Communication is a process
Communication is also a gradual process, but many leaders move too quickly and start to lose people along the way.
The best leaders don’t do that – they’re happy to revisit things with people or to reclarify or reshape a message until they get it to ‘hit-and-stick’ – rugby terminology for when the tackler makes contact (the hit) and keeps hold of them (the stick).
Good communication is therefore conveying information until it’s memorable and firmly established. This demands that leaders check in, ask questions, invite challenge, and create space for others to come back to them and let them know what they think and feel, because clarity isn’t achieved in a moment.
When communication is rushed, misunderstandings turn into bigger problems over time and that’s where problems with trust and team culture start to come to the surface.
Communication closes the loop
Communication isn’t complete when its spoken, it’s complete when it’s understood.
Between timing, tone, body language, context, and assumptions, there’s so much going on all at once that it’s easy for misunderstanding to creep in – and in many cases, it’s probably inevitable.
Leaders will often spend six months thinking about something, then tell their team about it in just six minutes and assume everyone will understand.
But while the leader’s done all the heavy lifting, skipping key stages of the thought process can result in people being left behind.
Closing the loop by making room for clarity and togetherness goes a long way to supporting more comprehensive understanding.
Where to start
Communication is one of (if not the most!) powerful tools a leader can have, but it’s also one of the most misunderstood and complex.
Unsure where to start? The three most effective mental shifts a leader can make when it comes to thinking about communication is to move from:
- Talking → listening
- Informing → connecting
- Sending → shaping
Because the best leaders don’t deliver messages, they create understanding.
And when you have understanding, you have clarity, trust, and culture – the key drivers of truly exceptional performance.
Expert leadership guidance when you need it
For tailored leadership coaching on a variety of topics, including effective communication, please feel free to contact the Drew Povey Consultancy today.
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