Don't Shoot the Messenger: The Rising Pressures on Leaders and Their Communication

Effective communication extends far beyond the boardroom. Today, mid to senior-level leaders face increasing challenges as they try to convey strategic messages across business and their teams.

While effective internal communication is crucial for operational success, directly influencing team morale, productivity, and the seamless execution of projects, it is often overlooked, underfunded and under-supported.

The Evolving Role of Leadership Communication

Gone are the days when leadership communication was solely about giving orders or making announcements.

Now, it sits at the junction of communications, engagement, culture and leadership development. The ask is that with every communication, be it one to many or one to one the leader create a supportive team environment, aligning diverse groups with strategic goals, and navigating the complexities of organisational change.

This shift demands not only clarity and precision but also a capacity, and indeed a capability, to connect on a human level, encouraging dialogue and feedback.

That does not come out of a box the moment someone steps into a leadership role.

Challenges Leaders Face in Modern Communication

Mid and senior-level leaders often grapple with conveying clear, consistent messages across various internal channels.

Why?

Central messaging is difficult to agree on – often landing on the most noncontinuous (read beige) message rather than the most effective one.

Each leader has their own style and personality that inevitably is added to whatever central briefing note comes out. Possibly knocking it off kilter.

Each team may have its own dynamics and require a tailored approach to communication. Giving a message an uneven landing surface.

As the workforce becomes increasingly diverse in age, background, and location—particularly with the rise of remote work—leaders must adapt their messages to bridge cultural and geographical divides.

The pace at which information travels within an organisation today also leaves little room for error. A poorly worded email or a miscommunicated directive can quickly lead to confusion and conflict, undermining trust and efficiency.

All of this is a huge ask for even the most experienced of leaders, let alone the new or emerging ones.

The Impact of Poor Communication Strategies

The consequences of ineffective communication can be profound.

Teams may become disengaged if they feel out of the loop or if messages seem inconsistent with news emerging from other areas, the company’s values, the company’s external messaging, or their understanding of a given project goal.

Moreover, unclear communication can result in wasted resources as teams work based on incorrect or outdated information, potentially doubling efforts or diverging from strategic objectives.

Strategies for Effective Leadership Communication

How then can this be resolved? How do we aim to support the messenger rather than shoot them?!

Let’s start from the organisational side first:-

1.    Recognise that Leadership IS Communication:  Communication is not just the job of your internal comms team or a few exasperated comms leaders. Comms does not and cannot own every conversation in the room – they need leaders to stand up and be the flagbearers for company news and information.

2.    Establish how information will flow through the organisation: Develop a clear, structured approach to cascade information quickly and effectively throughout the organisation. This includes defining who is the most effective messenger for each type of message and each team, ensuring that information is relayed in a manner that is most likely to be well-received and acted upon.

3.    Train your leaders in the art and science of leadership communication – beyond “presentation skills” they need clear and ongoing support to build their knowledge and practice in this area.

And from the Leaders' Side

1.    Encourage active listening: Leaders should practice active listening to truly understand and address the concerns and ideas of their teams, which can enhance message clarity and reception and well as allow them to take concerns and questions back to colleagues centrally.

2.    Promote open dialogue: Create an environment where feedback is encouraged and valued. This not only improves communication but also builds trust and engagement within the team.

3.    Lead by example: Demonstrate effective communication in every interaction. Leaders who communicate clearly and respectfully encourage their teams to emulate these practices. Embedding Leadership Communications as a practice, and as part of the leadership behaviour within an organisation would be a powerful and effective way of dealing with the impact of previously poor communication.

Effective communication is effective leadership. By creating a culture that values clear, open, and consistent communication, organisations can improve not just their operational efficiency but also their overall workplace environment.

Training and supporting leaders to become effective communicators is not merely an investment in individual growth, but a strategic enhancement of the entire organisation’s capabilities.