Introducing a methodology that will facilitate understanding and foster a level of trust that will coalesce speakers and their audiences.
Context
While several studies and hypothesis address speaking from the vantage point of ‘what’ should be communicated to build and transform teams, this article focuses on ‘how’ to perform leadership communication in today’s diverse, globally-oriented culture. This culture, coupled with the proliferation of artificial intelligence, self-interest, and today’s political landscape, elevates the need to foster collaboration in organizations. Collaboration creates a climate of trust and facilitates relationships, which are the core competencies of leadership communication. 1 This collaborative platform enables accountability through two-way communications.
In the 21 st Century, One-way communications are not optimal for leadership communication:
Hall setting. Essentially, leadership communication is underscored by how well emotional intelligence (EI)te with a purpose is a new nation order. 2 Leadership communication is different from speaking; communication is a second-order, two-way process that involves speaking and listening. 3 Therefore this second-order process demands a new platform – a dialogue via a Town Hall setting. Essentially, leadership communication is underscored by how well emotional intelligence (EI) enables the speaker to harmonize with disparate audiences, or by the leader’s application of EI components of self-awareness, social skills, self-regulation, motivation, and empathy to establish trust with his/her constituents by recognizing their situation regarding values, beliefs, and needs! 4 These components are challenged due to the aforementioned landscape of ‘me first’ warranting aplatform that offers an accountability mechanism to ascertain communication integrity. Symmetrical communication is the answer; leaders are held accountable – via dialogue – through feedback. Symmetrical communication is merely a two-way conversation that facilitates tacit information exchange between speaker and audience.
Symmetrical (Two-way) Communication is vehicle of choice for connecting; understanding and trust hinge on authentic dialogue between leaders and followers. 5
Leadership communication is about building trust between leaders and their constituents. 6 Winston Churchill placed a premium on hearing the thoughts of his constituents, as he made intentional efforts to get out among the people to mingle and share views and ideas 7 . Symmetrical communications, serving both sides of the relationship, develop relationships more effectively and results into employee’s satisfaction, because they now have a voice. 8 The employees become part of the solution. 9 In symmetrical communications, authenticity manifests between the leader and follower; it’s a reciprocal process where both leader and follower affect each other. 10 One of the six enablers of language of leadership is “A commitment to Telling Authentically True stories.” 11
The Town Hall meeting venue is the new leadership communication imperative:
The Town Hall setting affords the opportunity to establish understanding and build trust between leaders and constituents; it captures and solves problems of mutual interest. 12 Furthermore, the Town Hall venue facilitates the sum-of-the-whole approach to reach optimal solutions. Symmetrical communications should be the new norm for leadership communications to coalesce speakers and their audiences!
1 From The Leadership Challenge (pp. 195-207), by J.M. Kouzes and B. Z. Posner, 2017, Hoboken, NJ: Wiley & Sons.
Copyright 2017 by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner.
2 From Great Communication Secrets of Great Leaders (p. ii), by J. Baldoni, 2003, New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Copyright 2003 by John Baldoni
3 From Great Communication Secrets of Great Leaders (p. xiv), by J. Baldoni, 2003, New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Copyright 2003 by John Baldoni
4 From Harvard Business Review (p. 2), by D. Goleman, 2011, Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press.
Copyright 2011 Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation
5 From Leadership A Communication Perspective (pp. 68), by C.E. Johnson and M.Z. Hackman, 2018, Long Grove, IL:
Waveland Press. Copyright 2018, 2013, 2009, 2004, 2000, 1996, 1991 by Waveland Press, Inc.
6 From Great Communication Secrets of Great Leaders (pp. xv-xvi), by J. Baldoni, 2003, New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Copyright 2003 by John Baldoni
7 From Great Communication Secrets of Great Leaders (pp. 12-25), by J. Baldoni, 2003, New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Copyright 2003 by John Baldoni
8 From Excellent Public Relations and Effective Organizations (pp. 2-4 ), L.A. Grunig, J.E. Grunig, and D.M. Dozier,
2002, Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum. Copyright 2002 by Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
9 From The Leadership Challenge (pp. 195-207), by J.M. Kouzes and B. Z. Posner, 2017, Hoboken, NJ: Wiley & Sons.
Copyright 2017 by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner.
10 From Leadership Theory and Practice (p. 254), P.G. Northouse, 2013, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Copyright 2013
by Sage Publications, Inc.
11 From The Secret Language of Leadership (pp. 45-46), S. Denning, 2007, San Francisco, CA: Wiley & Sons.
Copyright 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
12 From Great Communication Secrets of Great Leaders (pp. 12-25), by J. Baldoni, 2003, New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Copyright 2003 by John Baldoni