Clear Messaging: The Must-Have Leadership Skill

“You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can't get them across, your ideas won't get you anywhere.”

–Lee Iacocca

Ever have a great idea, but couldn’t quite explain it to your direct reports, or your supervisor? All your strategic thinking and brilliant problem-solving goes nowhere if you can’t effectively communicate. And it’s not just getting your boss on board–you need customers, senior leaders, frontline workers, and shareholders to understand and approve of your initiative.

If you can’t express yourself clearly, it limits your promotion opportunities–even if your ideas are great. If you do find yourself in a new role with more responsibility, you’ll discover the expectations for clear messaging have only increased. The inability to communicate your plans may lead senior managers to question their decision to promote you. Your upward movement in the company grinds to a halt.

When You Can’t Communicate

There are two dangers you face in your career if you struggle to communicate clearly: 

You’re Misunderstood

In this era of cancel culture, it’s never been more dangerous to fumble your messaging. One speech where something you say is misconstrued as being insensitive to some ethnic or cultural group, and you can find yourself getting flamed. Suddenly, some company stakeholder thinks you’re a terrible person–and no amount of explaining will change their negative impression of you. The damage is done.

As a team leader, you may need to explain a change initiative or delegate tasks. If your instructions aren’t understood, confusion and poor execution may be the result. Even worse, there’s the potential hazard that you could fumble your messaging in a way that could be misunderstood and viewed as insensitive. 

You’re Overlooked

If higher-ups can’t understand your ideas, they don’t see your potential. It’s almost like you’re invisible–they just don’t get what value you bring to the table. They don’t invite you to participate in high-visibility projects, they don’t promote you. You’re essentially on a sidetrack, while others who can express their ideas clearly zoom ahead on the fast track.

Read Harvard Division of Continuing Education’s post Eight Things You Can Do to Improve Your Communication Skills.

How to Master Clear Communication

Fortunately, anyone can improve their communication skills. Stronger written and oral communication begins with an awareness of exactly what you’re trying to communicate–and importantly, what’s on the minds and in the hearts of your intended audience.

Too many executives blunder ahead with whatever they want to express without considering how their remarks may land. Here are a few tips for crafting your message:

• The opening elements are critical. Make sure the first pages or slides fascinate.

• Eliminate excess words. Be as concise as you can to better hold your audience.

• Review transitions. Make sure each thought logically leads to the next, or you’ll lose your audience along the way. Reorganize to smooth out any disconnects.

• End strong. What’s the most important takeaway? Try to narrow down your conclusion to a single thought or request. 

Taking a thoughtful approach to the best way to craft and deliver your message will help ensure it resonates with more of the stakeholders you’re trying to inform.

Watch a Stanford Graduate School of Business video on effective communication techniques.

Clear Communication Benefits Everyone  

Whether you’re at a junior level explaining a technical design you’ve created, or a senior executive announcing a merger, no one working today can afford to be a poor communicator. It costs you opportunities and makes it hard to build relationships with higher-ups, colleagues, and your direct reports. 

Particularly if you have aspirations for moving up in your organization, clear communication is an essential skill to master.