Communication and Leadership

Christopher M Madden, CPA

MorganFranklin Consulting, Inc.

Christopher.Madden@MorganFranklin.com

What is Leadership?

The only definition of a leader issomeone who has followers-Peter Drucker

Leadership is influence - nothing more, nothing less – Peter Maxwell

Leadership is unlocking people’s potential to become better – Bill Bradley

A process of social influence in which one personcan enlist the aid and support of others in theaccomplishment of a common task -Wikipedia

Positional Power Versus Personal Power

Positional Power – Based on office held or place in an established hierarchy

Recognized authority

Power to reward

Coercive measures for compliance

Personal Power

Charismatic leadership

Supermen/women, Kings/Queens or Heroines/Heroes

Paul Hershey, and others, Management of Organizational Behavior: Leading Human Resources, Prentice Hall; 8th edition, 2000

Directing

Directing Tends to be instructive and concentrates on telling people what to do, when and how. This leadership style is characterized by giving clear instructions and specific direction to employees that have a “low competence and high commitment”.

Coaching

This style tends to have a strong commitment to achieve goals and direct employees toward those goals. This leadership style is characterized by expanding two-way communication and helping employees with “some competence and low commitment” build confidence and motivation.

Supporting

The Supporting style perceives that the relationship of the group is more important than any individual task. This leadership style is characterized by active two-way communications such as asking and encouraging employee input, suggestion, and involvement in some decisions. This style is beneficial with employees that have “moderate to high competence and low commitment”

Delegation

This style of leadership is hands off characterized by giving responsibilities for carrying out plans and making task decisions to “high competence and high commitment” employees.

Shannon Weaver Model of Communication

Aristotle on Rhetoric An Oldie but a Goodie

Ethos- Appeal to AuthorityBy what authority does the speaker derive the right to speak

Pathos - Appeal to Emotion Aligning the speakers values with audience

Logos - Appeal to Logic Facts and Figures that support the speakers position

Obstacles to Communication

Wheeler’s Difficult Behavior Categories:

Hostile-Aggressive

Passive-Aggressive

Procrastinating

Negative-Complaining

Arrogant

Marilyn Wheeler, Problem People at Work

Cognitive Biases

Anchoring-The tendency to rely too heavily, or "anchor", on one trait or piece of information when making decisions

Bandwagon Effect-Tendency to believe what others do

Confirmation Bias-Tendency to believe what supports our previously held beliefs

Exposure Effect-Tendency of undue partiality to familiar things

Planning Bias-Tendency to underestimate completion times

Reactive Devaluation-Tendency to discount the value of a proposal based on its origin from an adversary

Dunning-Kruger Effect

Dunning Kruger Effect

The Dunning–Kruger effect is a cognitive bias in which an unskilled person makes poor decisions and arrives at erroneous conclusions, but their incompetence denies them the metacognitive ability to realize their mistakes. The unskilled therefore suffer from illusory superiority, rating their own ability as above average, much higher than it actually is, while the highly skilled underrate their abilities, suffering from illusory inferiority.

© 2016 Cognitive Biases

Keys to Successful Communication

Inc. Magazine polled fourteen CEOs as to what they thought were the most effective aspect of communication for leaders.

Be relatable.

Every successful CEO makes a special effort to get to know his or her team as individuals. Get into the practice of walking around your office or engaging in informal chats. Show interest in your constituents' (can include employees, partners and customers) lives and be willing to share some details about yours. The lower your pedestal, the more they'll rally behind you.--Alexandra Levit, Inspiration at Work

Emphasize your key points through repetition

I've been in so many banquet halls listening to some of the greatest leaders in their industries today wax on about their approach, and what they say is brilliant -- but I consistently have difficulty with remembering their key points. I never want to be this way as a leader and especially as a speaker, so I try to repeat key bullet points for emphasis so that no part of my argument is lost.--Rob Fulton, Audio Luminaries

Keep a good sense of humor

I like to make people laugh and naturally can relate a lot more to people when I do so. People open up with comedy -- be careful, though, that you don't go overboard or offend someone. Bringing humor into the situation will loosen up the mood and help to clearly convey the tone of your message.--John Rampton, Due

Actively listen

Part of great communication is actively listening. The best communicators I know are also the best listeners. By listening, you respect the person with whom you are speaking and you also hear and understand their point of view. You can then articulate a response that is meaningful.--Andrew Thomas, SkyBell Video Doorbell

Respond in a timely manner Do your best to be extremely responsive to everyone,

whether it is an employee, vendor or prospect. I answer questions and return phone calls as fast as possible, regardless of who it is. When you build up a reputation of responding quickly it doesn't go unrewarded. Your team will feel appreciated, your customers will love you and it will open the door for referrals and introductions.--Jonathan Long, Market Domination Media

Remember that you're always "on."

You're always on, no matter where you are. Everyone is always watching you and you should be prepared in everything you do. Great communicators are always prepared for the unknown: be that person.--Peter Daisyme, Hosting

Analogies are key

Using analogies is an easy tool for great communication: they instantaneously put everyone on the same page and can help resolve conflict. One person's vision of "large" may be different than another. By using clarifying questions and an analogy you can pinpoint (e.g. "Do you mean large like an elephant or like a large FedEx envelope?"), you'll know everyone is envisioning the same end goal.--Kim Kaupe, ZinePak

Adapt readily to any situation

Oftentimes as the CEO you have a clear picture of where you want to be, how you want to get there and what steps are needed to achieve your goals. When communicating with others, you have to keep in mind that sometimes you have to adapt to the situation, especially if it isn't one that you are pleased with. --Stanley Meytin, True Film Production

Be presentGreat communicators are present for the people they are interacting with. That opens a channel for energy to flow and for people to feel heard and understood. Your presence is the greatest gift you have to offer. Close the laptop, turn off the phone, eliminate distractions. Be with the other person/people fully and give them all of your attention.--Corey Blake, Round Table Companies

Find your own voice

Use language that's distinctly yours and let your own values come through when you're communicating in your capacity as CEO. Definitely be professional, but don't make your communication overly specific to a corporate environment; you won't come across as real. People respect authenticity and they're much more willing to follow real leaders, not corporate puppets. Speak with your own voice.--Jared Brown, Hubstaff

Write everything down

Phone and in-person conversations are valuable, but because memories are so unreliable, I write down everything. Having a written record makes a big difference. Whatever the topic, write down the discussion and the agreement so you have a record. Email can serve this purpose, but writing down the outcome of a conversation and reviewing it can prove valuable.--Brian David Crane, Caller Smart Inc.

Put your audience at ease

Great communicators have a way of disarming their audience in order to put them at ease. Ever notice President Obama's use of the word "folks" instead of "people," or how he intersperses his speeches with the phrase, "you know?" Those are two good examples of how a great communicator attempts to put his audience at ease with calming language or colloquial phrasing.--Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance

Customize your communication style for each employee

Every employee has different styles of learning, so I make sure to communicate in different styles. Some people like to be walked through steps in order to learn something and some people would rather do it on their own. It is all about finding out each person's style, and tailoring your communication to match theirs.--Jayna Cooke, EVENTup

Ask before you speak

Rather than making assumptions or misinterpreting what a client or team member is thinking, I often ask. Especially when it comes to more complex scenarios, or when I assume there's a potential disagreement. Perspective taking and confirmation leads to better, more direct communication. -Andrew Fayad, eLearning Mind

AON Risk Management

“Choose future managers for their communication skills asmuch as their achievements. Front line managers have thegreatest influence over an employee's engagement.Managers who are good communicators get more from theirdirect reports than managers whose strong skills lieelsewhere. Managers who are good communicators are theinsurance policy for keeping the best workers focused,engaged, and productive.”

Everything communicates

As a leader, how you act and what you do, communicates more clearly than the words coming out of your mouth.

The way programs, policies, tools, and initiatives are designed and delivered communicates more strongly than the marketing and information about them.

AON

Model the behavior you are looking for from others

Communicate with your employees the way you would like to be communicated with — transparent, open, with respect and trust. And do the things you believe matter. If you focus on employees and customers, so will everyone else.

AON

Have a point of view

It's much easier to have consistent communication when you have a clear brand or market-facing value proposition and core values — whatever you want to call it. But whatever you call "it", you better have it. Just be sure it is clear, easy to remember, makes sense for the business, has an element of inspiration, differentiates you as an employer, will hold up for at least ten years, and is everyone's job to live it — and that means you.

AON

What you hear is as important as what you say

Communication is a two-way process. Have a number of upward channels and do something with what you hear —and tell people about it.

AON

You haven't communicated anything until you have been heard by your audiences

Understand your audience. Take a lesson from the marketers — know the demographics and psychographics of your various audiences and tailor communication messages, content, style, and channels to them.

AON

They both end in "tion" but there's a big difference between "information" and "communication” Communication influences thoughts, feelings, and actions.

Information simply informs. And how you communicate depends on what you are communicating. If you are trying to engage people, don't use e-mail.

AON

Communicate courageously

If you communicate openly and honestly, you will make some mistakes but those mistakes will be better than the bland, sanitized, and uninspiring communications in many companies. And there will be times when you don't have the answer. Admit it. Your employees will understand and will respect your courage and honesty. Both are in short supply.

AON

Remember you are competing for attention

Every employee receives hundreds of messages every day. Your message competes with all of them. Each person selects what to pay attention to and what to ignore. Why should employees pay attention to messages from you?

AON

If it looks important, it must be important

How you package the communication about programs has a big impact on perceptions of the program itself. Match the packaging to the level of importance. And if you follow up, it must be even more important. Too many executives think once they've communicated, they are done. They couldn't be more wrong. Redundancy matters.

AON

Practice

Great communicators practice. Writers write and rewrite. Great orators like Winston Churchill and more contemporary speakers like Malcolm Gladwell practice and rehearse. Gladwell writes out every word of every speech. They are good at what they do because they work at it.

AON

You are now officially admitted