Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3
Pat Schally
Editor
"The problem with communication is the illusion that is has occurred".
—George Bernard Shaw
Communication has been identified throughout history as an essential skill for leaders. When asked if they are good communicators, many leaders say they believe they are, yet research shows their constituents tell another story. It is often a leader’s illusion that their message was received as intended, but the accuracy of communication is really about the extent to which the listener can interpret the information in the way it was intended by the speaker.
The critical importance of communication was highlighted recently in the academy award winning movie, "The King’s Speech." Speech therapist Logue provokes the Duke into an angry confrontation: "Listen to you? By what right?"
"Because I have a voice!" the Duke shouts back. "Yes, you have." Logue replies sincerely, and there lies the premise of the movie. The king deserves to be heard not simply because he's king, but because he's human, and he has a voice.
In his book The Leader’s Voice, contributing author and Sonoma Leadership Systems’ workshop facilitator, Ron Crossland, motivates leaders to use their voices to communicate with more clarity, consistency and emotion.
Staying with the film's metaphor, Ron writes: “Our mind’s inner-working resembles movie-making software that constantly adds, deletes, and edits information.” The Leader’s Voice is about building high quality movies using Facts, Emotions, and Symbols. Ron sites three case studies to shine a light on the way in which leaders use those channels. “When it is genuinely delivered, it can transcribe the movie in the leader’s brain to all others with remarkable results." (Read more of Ron’s case studies in his white paper “Leadership Communication: A Fresh Look at a Chronic Problem”.
The ability to communicate effectively is the very cornerstone of leadership. Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner wrote in The Leadership Challenge, “If you don’t believe the messenger, you won’t believe the message.” While this is a function of the credibility of a leader, it is also about communicating a powerful message that influences thoughts, feelings and actions from a believable source.
—Pat Schally, Editor
pat@sonomaleadership.com
Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Back to top
