We’ve heard for years, and possibly for decades, that communication is critical for leadership success. Okay. We know that. But then why do so many of us continue to struggle with it? Why is communication critical for a leader to be effective, to achieve the goals needed, to develop the financial results expected, to delight customers, to initiate and not constantly react to change, and to create companies associates WANT to be a part of, engage with, and stay with? Why is communication, and specifically, effective leadership communication, so critical? Because how we, as leaders, communicate or don’t, directly impacts our company’s culture.

How we, as leaders, communicate or don’t, directly impacts our company’s culture.

Our organization’s current culture is a reflection of our leadership and of our communication as leaders. If the current culture is one where our team members are confused, frustrated, tense, or afraid, why? If the current culture is one where our team members are engaged, collaborative, focused, or driven, why? What are we doing and saying as leaders to create and perpetuate the culture we have as well as the culture we want?

Several experiences with clients this past year have answered that question. In situations where team members were confused, frustrated, tense, and even afraid, invisible but very real walls limiting communication had been erected between levels of leadership and between divisions. As a result, teams and often, team members, worked in isolation. What they knew or didn’t, what they believed or didn’t, what they understood or didn’t, became further ingrained. Once those communication walls were removed, the cultures changed. Through intentional, regular meetings with direct reports, purposely being visible and available by literally walking around physical facilities and briefly joining virtual meetings (with the leaders’ cameras ON), things started to change in every organization. By starting and then committing to regular conversations with direct reports and other key team members about what’s working, what is not, what is needed to help move things forward, what issues are projected, what happened that’s unexpected, what’s suggested or planned to deal with it, etc., the cultures have changed.

Simply telling our teams what to do isn’t communicating. It’s telling our teams what to do. That’s like lobbing a ball at them and then turning and walking away. There’s no opportunity for them to toss back a question, ask for clarity, share their perspectives, or to say, “I’m stuck and I need your help.” To communicate your way to the culture you want, walls restricting communication and access to information need to be removed.

To communicate your way to the culture you want, walls restricting communication and access to information need to be removed.

Copyright MMXXIV – Liz Weber, CMC, CSP – Weber Business Services, LLC – www.WBSLLC.com +1.717.597.8890

Liz Weber is an advisor to boards of directors, business owners, and C-Suite leaders. She’s a leadership, strategic and succession planning consultant, speaker, and author. She helps her clients focus on the right things at the right times to get the right impact. Learn more about Liz on LinkedIn!