The Great Leaders & Why Communication Matters

 “Ninety percent of leadership is the ability to communicate something people want.” – Dianne Feinstein, U.S. Senator (Harkless, 2019b)

Basically since the beginning of civilization, there have been leaders and followers.  So naturally, the leaders formed various types of governments through diverse means over the years, as a way to keep peace and structure, as well as law and order among their people.  People became loyal to their leaders, as some claimed to be sent to rule by the Lord, or Odin, or Allah (or whomever their God was).  Some rulers were born into power, following an order of succession in the blood-line, where others have taken control through combat and defeat of the enemy.  And many are elected by the people.   

Portrait photo of President John F. Kennedy,
taken in the White House, Washington, D.C.
on July 11, 1963

Historically, leaders throughout history have had many things in common.  They speak for their people (charismatic/diplomatic), make hard decisions for them (powerful/critical-thinkers), lead them into battle (warriors/brave), and often times even die for them (selfless/patriots).  But above all, they have been great communicators. Harris (in Hollifield, Wicks, Sylvie, & Lowrey, 2015, p. 3) says, "Communication, which includes listening skills, is arguably the single most important skill a leader must have." Our great leaders have listened and communicated with the public to find out what they want and need, and gained power because of the people.  Some names instantly come to mind when you think of "great leaders throughout history".  Names like: President Abraham Lincoln, Nelson Mandela, Joan of Arc, President John F. Kennedy, and Queen Elizabeth I (of England) tend to stand out as some of the greatest and bravest leaders in history.  And others, such as: Joseph Stalin, Saddam Hussein, Queen Mary I (aka Bloody Mary) and Adolph Hitler are remembered as tyrants and criminals because of their mass genocides and unfathomable cruelty.  But these are all political leaders and rulers.  What about some of the greatest leaders in Business and Industry?  Names like: Steve Jobs, Walt Disney, Henry Ford and Warren Buffet instantly roll off the tongue.  But what sets these people apart from the rest?  Why do we have these feelings about these people?   

Henry Ford with a Model-T
in Buffalo, NY, 1921

"You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can't get them across, your ideas won't get you anywhere." - Lee Iacocca (Wise Old Sayings)

Successful leaders realize you need more than just an amazing product or idea in order to be successful.  If you can't get your people to believe in you, to understand your vision and motives, then you have nothing.  People need more than a single person to follow, they need a purpose.  If this person is able to communicate effectively with the public, there is no telling how far they can go.  Whether its an idea such as the end of slavery, a government agency such as the Army or Navy, or a multi-billion dollar company like Apple, the public need to believe in the concept and understand what they are "buying".  And the employees need to believe that what they are selling is worth it.  In order to do this, effective internal as well as external communication is very important.

Why is internal communication so important?  It can be the difference between a confidential, top-secret memo going to someone without the proper clearance instead of just a confidential memo.  Community Tool Box says:  

In its simplest terms, internal communication is communication within an organization. It encompasses both "official" communication -- memos, guidelines, policies and procedures, etc. -- and the unofficial communication that goes on among and between the staff members of all organizations -- the exchange of ideas and opinions, the development of personal relationships, and the proverbial conversation around the water cooler. It goes in all directions among line staff (those who do the specific work of the organization and work directly with the target population), administrators, supervisors, clerical and support staff, volunteers, and, perhaps, even the Board of Directors (n.d.).

As you can see, it involves everyone within a communicating body.  When there is positive internal communication within an organization, it typically creates a sense of trust.  If leadership is more open and willing to share what is going on within the company with the employees, the morale of the team is usually stronger and the work environment is typically more upbeat and optimistic.  Less mistakes are made because people take pride in their work.  Effective internal communication gives people a sense of ownership within their company (Community Tool Box, n.d.).

All of the communication done outside of the organization is considered external.  Your customers, suppliers, investors, the media, etc. are all examples of who may be your audience.  So it is very important for each person to understand their roles when communicating with outside channels.  External communication can define the way the public views a company; are they good for the environment, are they a philanthropic company, do they have a reputation of being cruel to their employees, do they have unsafe workplace conditions? (Lazzari and Thompson, 2019).  And with social media influence today, external communication is even more important to coordinate and stay on top of.  It seems like it only takes one angry tweet to ruin someone these days.  Also, when communicating externally, whether it be to your customers or suppliers, it is very important to ensure accuracy.  Mistakes can not only embarrass a company but they can be very expensive.  One mistake on a quote has the potential to do major damage to a small business or start-up company (Lazzari and Thompson, 2019).

At the end of the day, communication comes in many different forms.  Internal and external communication are just two types of communication within a vast system, but they are equally important.  You really can't have one without the other other.  And although the argument has been made that most great leaders are born with similar traits, such as charisma and vision, and the natural ability to lead, there are other leadership qualities that can be learned (Hollifield, Wicks, Sylvie, & Lowrey, 2015, pp. 2-3).  Communication is a skill that can be learned.  What all of the great leaders listed above had was charisma and vision, skills they were born with.  And although they may not have all been born as natural communicators, they were able to develop their skills and make people listen.  And that is the difference between "history" and average.                
   


References

Community Tool Box. (n.d.). Chapter 15. Becoming an Effective Manager | Section 4. Promoting Internal Communication | Main Section | Community Tool Box. Retrieved April 13, 2019, from https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/leadership/effective-manager/internal-communication/main

Harkless, J. (2019b, February 21). 72 Amazing Leadership Quotes That Will Inspire You To Be Great. Retrieved from https://www.workzone.com/blog/leadership-quotes/

Hollifield, C. A., Wicks, J. L. B., Sylvie, G., & Lowrey, W. (2015). Media Management: A Casebook Approach (5th ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.

Lazzari, Z., & Thompson, J. (2019, March 7). Importance of External Business Communication. Retrieved from https://smallbusiness.chron.com/importance-external-business-communication-19304.html

Wise Old Sayings. (n.d.). Communication Sayings and Communication Quotes | Wise Old Sayings. Retrieved April 13, 2019, from http://www.wiseoldsayings.com/communication-quotes/