Leadership Communication Failures and Solutions

NB: We do not resell your papers. Upon ordering, we do an original paper exclusively for you.

NB: All your data is kept safe from the public.

Table of Contents

Communication Strategies for Effective Leaders
Barriers to Effective Communication
Conclusion
References

Organizations that operate in today’s competitive market require effective leadership to remain operational. Leaders act as vision and mission bearers of their respective companies. CEOs of many globally recognized organizations such as Google, General Motors, and Huawei among others have depicted desirable traits that revolve around their capacity to communicate their business agendas effectively not only to their employees but also to potential international investors. Hence, examining the issue of leadership may not be comprehensive without a mention of effective communication strategies expected of leaders, including being confident, being available for dialogue, and being brief. Nonetheless, some leaders find themselves delivering the appropriate message but in a wrong manner. This paper reveals issues such as the use of the wrong or inappropriate language and the failure to give feedback as some of the possible barriers that leaders should overcome to enhance effective communication.

Communication Strategies for Effective Leaders

Being Confident

According to Luthra and Dahiya (2015), while communication entails the transfer of information from the source to the audience, the level of preparedness and the quality of message delivered indicate the extent of confidence that a particular leader has when communicating. Effective leaders prepare in advance the kind of message they wish to deliver to their audiences who may be employees or team members. Such preparation involves researching the content and reviewing it to confirm that indeed it contains all issues, which need to be conveyed. Luthra and Dahiya (2015) present confidence as a strategy that effective leaders deploy to ensure that their audiences believe in what they (leaders) deliver to them and, consequently, their leadership styles. Demonstrating questionable self-belief as a leader may significantly hinder employees or team members’ performance because they will not only be discontented but also unexcited about their tasks. Likerman (2009) mentions Bill Gates and Henry Ford as great leaders whose confidence in communication has substantially boosted their respective brands because of the trust they have gained from the global population. Hence, confidence plays a key role in boosting cooperation between effective leaders and their audiences.

Being Accessible

Another communication strategy deployed by great leaders revolves around their accessibility whenever any information is needed, either face-to-face or through other platforms. According to Luthra and Dahiya (2015), sometimes employees encounter situations that require immediate action by the leader. In particular, one of the staff members may pass an unclear message, a situation that may call for the intervention of the head. In the event such a leader is inaccessible, employees may be left with questions concerning the effectiveness of such a boss, hence compromising their progress and, consequently, productivity. Hence, a leader who is accessible via phone, face-to-face, or other media platforms appears not only proficient but also triumphant in their businesses. According to Wickre (2017), Google’s boss, Sundar Pichai, offers an example of the way effective leaders value communication. The company’s head identified a communication gap that had not only compromised workers’ motivation but also the overall business efficiency. As a result, he emphasized the need for a change of communication culture whereby he wanted all employees, including him, to be available when needed for discussions. Sundar Pichai implemented “several forums to gather and engage with Googlers where people could feel comfortable to speak freely” (Wickre, 2017, para. 3). In particular, Google Moderator offers a platform where all workers interact real-time with one another, including the CEO.

Being Succinct

Although giving much information about a particular subject may be viewed as a sign of mastery of the issue being addressed, Luthra and Dahiya (2015) present a contrary opinion whereby great leaders embrace brevity as part of effective communication strategies. Taking much time addressing people not only compromises their level of concentration but also bars them from participating in the information-sharing process. Consequently, being brief is an effective strategy that indicates a leader’s desire to have employees or team members involved to give their constructive share of information as part of key organizational assets. This strategy boosts their enthusiasm because they feel acknowledged as part of stakeholders who determine the extent of organizational productivity. Leaders who demonstrate this communication strategy usually embrace the idea of opinion diversity, meaning that they pave the way for constructive and assorted “thoughts, ideas, and feelings of others” (Luthra & Dahiya, 2015, p. 46). Such inputs contribute to the overall institutional performance. Nonetheless, leaders need to overcome several issues that hinder effective communication.

Barriers to Effective Communication

The Use of Inappropriate Language

In some situations, leaders may have trouble when attempting to deliver a particular message to their respective audiences. It is crucial to note that being well prepared by researching and reviewing the subject before presenting it does not always guarantee proper delivery of the intended message. Luthra and Dahiya (2015) reveal the issue of using inappropriate language to convey information as an obstacle that may compromise the quality of message being passed. This situation happens mostly in organizations that have a huge number of employees understanding a particular language that may be different from the permissible medium of communication. In the event the leader prepares to communicate one-on-one using the official language but suddenly changes to adopt another one, chances are high that the message delivered may not be passed or received as anticipated. Hence, leaders need to overcome this obstacle by always sticking to the permissible mode of communication whenever they wish to pass any information to their audiences.

Disregarding Feedback

Communication is said to be complete when feedback is given. Such an element is vital because it determines a leader’s next course of action. According to Likerman (2009), renowned companies such as Southwest Airlines have progressed, thanks to the continued implementation of feedback that comes from employees. This finding points to a situation whereby leaders who do not factor in the significance of feedback not only lag in terms of productivity but also experience employee turnover because workers prefer organizations that value their opinions. Luthra and Dahiya (2015) recommend a framework that indirectly captures the element of feedback through the two-way communication plan, which, in turn, builds employees’ trust, motivation, and team coordination.

The impact of feedback on leadership communication. — Figure 1. The impact of feedback on leadership communication (Luthra & Dahiya, 2015).

Conclusion

Based on the expositions raised above, it is apparent that successful organizational leaders embrace effective communication strategies such as being confident when addressing workers, avoiding excessive talking as a way of creating the room for employees’ input, and being available for dialogue. This paper has given examples of great leaders such as Sundar Pichai, Bill Gates, and Henry Ford whose businesses have grown tremendously because of their (leaders) effective communication strategies. However, this study has also revealed several obstacles that organizational heads need to overcome to enhance effective communication. Such barriers include the use of inappropriate language and disregarding feedback.

References

Likerman, A. (2009). Successful leadership – How would you know? Business Strategy Review, 20(1), 44-49.

Luthra, A., & Dahiya, R. (2015). Effective leadership is all about communicating effectively: Connecting leadership and communication. International Journal of Business & Management Studies, 5(3), 43-48.

Wickre, K. (2017). What Google’s open communication culture is really like. Web.

Click Here To Order Now!