WHAT IS LEADERSHIP COMMUNICATION ?
• Leadership frequently described/defined as people who ―influence‖, ―inspire‖
and ―transform‖ – all dependant on communication (verbal and nonverbal).
• Leaders lead through words and actions.
• Emotional intelligence required – ability to understand self and others.
• Leaders are constantly communicating.
• Managers in a business setting spend most of their day (70 – 90 %) engaged
in communication.
• Irrespective of leadership position, mastering communication should be
priority for any person that wants to lead.
• Effective leadership = largely a matter of communication as this influences
groups, the organisation, and/or broader community to trust, follow and
consider them leaders.
Leadership communication takes place on individual, group, and organisational level,
as well as in broader community.
IDENTIFYING LEADERSHIP
• Countless definitions available – seldom complete agreement on what
leadership entails and how to define it.
• Most agree leaders are individuals who guide, direct, motivate, or inspire
others, they are the men and woman who influence others in an organisation
or a community.
• They command others’ attention, persuade them to follow them, or pursue
goals they define
• They control situations
• They improve the performance of groups and organisations
• They connect with others and they get results
• Leadership theorists define leadership by the traits leaders possess, by the
tasks they perform, the positions they hold, and the accomplishments they
achieve.
Traditional theories of leadership focus on the traits of leaders (personality, charisma,
referent power), the process by which individuals become leaders (the tasks, the
people, and the situation), or the interactions individuals have with others that create
their leadership status. In the last, the focus is either on the exchange or transaction
between the leader and others, or on the impact the leader has on individuals or an
organization which inspires change or a difference of some sort, a transformation.
• Transformational leaders possess a positive ethos (authority and credibility),
inspires trust and respect, connects with others individually and in groups,
articulates a clear and motivating vision and skilfully guides and motivates
others to act.
• Transformational leaders display four primary behavioural characteristics:
idealised influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and
individualised consideration.
• Additionally, communication abilities such as listening, persuading, and
articulating ideas effectively.
, CONNECTING LEADERSHIP TO COMMUNICATION
• Without effective communication there can be no leadership, and little can be
accomplished.
• Effective leadership depends on effective communication, the ability to
connect to others and, through that connection guide, direct, motivate and
inspire.
• Good communication skills enable, foster,, and create the understanding and
trust necessary to encourage others to follow the leader.
• Ability to communicate effectively allows individuals to move into leadership
positions.
DEFINING COMMUNICATION
• Communication = transmission of meaning from one person to another or to
many people, whether verbally or nonverbally. Traditionally, this transmission
model of communication or as it is often called, the ―rhetorical situation,‖ is
commonly depicted as a simple triangle consisting of the sender, the
message, and the receiver
• Breakdowns in communication occur when something interferes with the
transmission of a message, whether the context, the medium, sender, or
receiver causes them.
• The context in which the information is sent, the noise that surrounds it, the
selection of the medium, the words used in the message, the image of the
speaker—all influence the meaning as it travels successfully, or as intended,
from one person to another.
DEFINING LEADERSHIP COMMUNICATION
• Effective leadership communication requires the ability to anticipate the
potential interruptions in the transmission of the message, appreciate the
context, understand the audience, select the right medium, and craft
messages that allow the meaning to reach the specific receiver intended.
• One goal of mastering all aspects of leadership communication is to move us
as close as possible to the ideal of meaningful message transfer.
• Leadership communication necessitates minimising or eliminating all
interruptions and interferences by understanding the receivers (the audience)
and developing a communication strategy (objective and plan) to facilitate the
effective transmission of messages.
• It involves using emotional intelligence to understand ourselves, and those we
want to reach, well enough to create messages appropriately.
• Definition:
• Leadership communication is the controlled, purposeful transfer of meaning
by which individuals influence a single person, a group, an organisation, or a
community by using the full range of their communication abilities and
resources to connect positively with their audiences, overcome interferences,
and create and deliver messages that guide, direct, motivate, or inspire others
to action.
