Communication and Leadership

Communication and Leadership

Introduction

The present epoch’s business leaders and other professional tend to place stress on the nitty-gritties of business. In the course of hiring the management staff, better communication skills are regarded as imperative that all managers must possess. Thus, for an individual to be considered as an effective leader or manager, it is compulsory to ascertain responsibility, persuasion, premeditated relations, creation and management of the value system, as well as the provision of motivation and support to the teams. The leader is able to attain the above tasks through provision of effectual leadership, supervision, communication and sound planning. Amongst the above noted aspects, precise and excellent communication tend to be of the utmost significance. Thus, Sjölander-Lindqvist, Johansson and Sandström (2015) notes that the leader’s communication skills inspire and motivate the team members to not only work hard but also attain the targets of the team along with the goals of the organization. Earlier studies have indicated that, on a daily basis, leaders spend approximately 70% to 90% of their time communicating with the teams and the other employees in the workplace (Johansson, Miller & Hamrin, 2014). The effectual communication tends to proffer the advantage of the leader to exercise effective leadership. Based on these observation, this paper has been written with the objective of analyzing the importance of effective communication in leadership. To attain this, the paper will seek to review the various aspects of leadership that are affected by communication, as well as how the various leadership styles affect leadership communication within organizations.

Communication as a Vital Aspect to Leadership

According to Sjölander-Lindqvist, Johansson and Sandström (2015) the effectual communication leadership skills are increasingly essential for leading any organization. Effective leadership is correlated to the various management skills that are applicable in organizations, in addition to other kinds of business organizations. The increment in the diversity of the multicultural organizations often results in the creation of both challenges and opportunities for organizational leaders. A number of specific major traits that are fundamentally important for a volunteer leader to have to effectively and positively impact their organization to create a growth oriented sustainable operation. Effective communication skills enable a leader to create trust and team spirit in any organization and in particular in a voluntary organization.

The utmost essential key to great leadership is communication (Boies, Fiset & Gill, 2015). A Leader is among one of the employees with exceptional skills set and in one situation or another he has potential to step forward to take charge and mentor others who lack experience and skill set, tries to inculcate skills by motivating them and help them in achieving their individual, team and organizational targets. To become a great leader one should be a great communicator. Great leaders are always considered as first-class communicators, they have a clear set of values and they always believe in promoting and inculcating those values in others. It is due to this reason that their teams appreciate them and follow them as a leader. Being great communicator does not mean great talker (Johansson, Miller & Hamrin, 2014). There is a big difference between the two, the thrust of gaining more knowledge separates excellent communicator from a good talker, who lack knowledge and get confused while interacting with others, whereas great communicator speak in confidence and never get confused because of the knowledge they possess. They have ability to connect to passions and ambitions while communicating their ideas with others. They are aware of the thing that if fails to connect with the audience they might not be able pass their idea to them and purpose of communication will not be achieved.

According to Donate and de Pablo (2015), the effective communicators tend to have an extraordinary listening quality to what is being spoken by others. Such quality gives them the aptitude to read the individual and group mind through the analysis of behaviors, attitudes, ideals, activities, and anxieties, as well as alter their messages based on the circumstances. The leaders who are effective communicators and make use of communication in the motivation and stimulation of their followers may be regarded as the best managers and leaders in any organization (Bolden, 2016). In most organizations, the leaders make sure that there is discipline, work along with the feeling of responsibility in his/her team members. Further, such leaders also have a sturdy and certain set of principles for work, over and above believing in the integration of the same within the teams as a result of that, they are increasingly appreciated and also followed by the members of such teams (Sjölander-Lindqvist, Johansson & Sandström, 2015).

In instances where the leader is considered as inspirational to his team members or even the individuals and groups around him/her as a result of the effective communication of his targets and ideologies, they become adequately effective in performing the whole allotted task effortlessly, an effort that has been referred to as leadership communication (Bolden, 2016). In this regard, it has been observed that a larger proportion of the leaders and managers tend to be increasingly busy communicating with each other in the course of work and makes use of nearly 70% to 90% of the time in interaction with their teams and groups daily. However, the percentage has increased considerably as a result of the invention of various novel communication technologies that include mobile phones, social media and emails amongst others. Such immense proportion of time that the managers spend communicating tends to highlight the significance and importance of communication skills for the leaders who desire to expand their positions with regards to leadership. A number of researchers have also clarified the concept by observing that it is the effective communication that normally moves a person from the low leadership levels to the top leadership spots. According to DuBois et al. (2015), studies have proven that individual with exceptional communication skills, able to make important decisions, and are also capable to ensure that work is done by others is normally recommended for the leadership positions in organizations.

Effective communication skills tend to offer the necessary support with regards to the creation of atmospheres for extraordinary comprehension of the message being communicated over and above encouraging the team members to follow their leaders blindly. That is, for one to be a leadership expert, effective communication tends to be an indispensable preference for the leaders striving to realize success along with considerable growth in their careers. The leader has to ascertain that there is consistent communication, as well as make sure that the apt utilization of both formal and informal communication approaches (Johansson, Miller & Hamrin, 2014). Thus, it is considered a better practice to make use of an amalgamation of the informal and formal approaches in communicating. Informal communication aids in getting the precise and increasingly regular assessments to report the concerns faster. The informal interactions including those occurring during the breakfast meetings and in the course of roundtable meetings have been noted to be effectual and assistive in the discussion and resolution of varied challenges such as those involving credibility and trust, as well as in instances in which the formal approaches need apt planning and execution.

Leadership Communication

According to Boies, Fiset and Gill (2015), leadership communication has been described as the ability to inspire and encourage a person or group through the systematic and expressive sharing of important information through the use of excellent communication skills. This, therefore, implies that leadership communication is an intricate procedure that commences from the development of the communication strategy, writing precisely and effectual speaking with the objective of controlling the challenging circumstances. The leadership communication tend to have three key aspects that include the managerial, corporate and core. With the increment in the portfolio of the leader, there is always the need to extemporize the communication skills enable the management of the large horizon, as well as become increasingly effectual in every probable circumstance. As such, the intricacy tends to increase with the increment in the leadership level. In this regard, the Core Aspect Approaches take in the speaking and writing, which are regarded as individualized skills requiring expansion so as to enable the management of bigger teams and groups.

The expressed cultural comprehensions, patient listening, management of teams and team meetings, provision of training facilities for teams, along with the mentorship, are amongst the skills that help in the management of teams and groups and are the vital leadership communication Managerial Aspect Approach of leadership communication. According to Men (2014), the Corporate Aspects Approach mainly entail the skills that are needed at the highest leadership levels, and this also necessitates the need for interaction with the external sphere, and the skills are important in attaining this include the ability to maintain worker relations, media relations communication in the course of crises and changes, as well as image building. For most organizations, the major challenge at present entails winning the workers’ trust, as well as the trust of the clients and business partners. Organizations with adequately skillful leaders who communicate quickly and regularly with communication policies that are dedicated and perfectly planned, help in encouraging not just the workers but also the clients and business partners to develop trust in the organization. This raises the question on why it is essential for leaders to develop trust amongst the shareholders. According to Boies, Fiset and Gill (2015), leaders are mainly followed by individuals as a result of the trust that they put in him, and devoid of that trust, such individuals cannot trust the leader.

Trust remains a vital and influential aspect capable of increasing the reliability and integrity as well as offering one the additional advantage in instances of uncertainty. No leader is able to build trust given that trust cannot be built; however, it can either be earned or gained. For effective leaders, earning trust tends to be very easy given that they understand the value and worth of developing and sustaining trust (DuBois et al., 2015). Thus, the leaders are tasked with the putting of all probable efforts while being assisted by their teams that encourage the business partners to have some faith in their organizations’ leadership. In this regard, communication takes up a vital function in the development of trust through the creation of a milieu that empowers the leaders to practice effective leadership through the motivation of the workers and realization of the ultimate objectives (Bolden, 2016).

It is quite challenging for any organizational leader to motivate, engage and also hold some of their brilliant team members in case the leaders do not have trust in their messages (Men, 2014). In case the workers have developed trust on the leaders, and are also aware of what might be going around, they are prone to be increasingly energized and satisfied. Through the sharing of vital information with the workers, leaders are able to develop the trust culture in the organization, and are also able to effortlessly develop relations with workers and other notable business channels capable of facilitating faster growth of the organization. The activities that are involved in trust development include effectual communication management, the sourcing of apt networks and the holding of conversations that are positive on what should be done, as well as communication of feedback to the workers (Donate & de Pablo, 2015). According to Men (2014), trust is essential for the leaders given that it is the employees’ trust that enables the creation of vast from slight, as well as the conversion of the big into small. Based on this observation, it becomes imperative for the organizational leaders to ascertain that the individuals linked to them develop trust in them, and this can only be achieved through communication.

Influence of Leadership Styles on Communication

As already acknowledged, communication tends to have immense impacts on effectual leadership in organizations and this is also comparable to the various leadership styles. Thus, divergent leadership styles tend to have different influences on the communication processes (Men, 2014). Moreover, there is also an inverse correlations between the communication process and leadership style. Discussed below are some of the ways through which various leadership styles affect communication

Leadership Style as per the Situation

The leadership style is mainly concerned with the use and practice of varied leadership styles under dissimilar situations based on the requirements of the followers and the individual leadership qualities (DuBois et al., 2015). In all situations, the communication is affected given that a number of circumstances tend to call for direct and stringent communication, while in other situations, the leader is accorded the option of indirect communication means. This may either result in effectual communication process or might also result in miscommunication.

Goal Oriented Leadership Style

All leaders have visions and goals for the organizations, themselves and their teams. The goals and visions are normally synchronized with the objective and aims of the organization. As such, the leaders are required to effectively communicate the goals and the visions to their teams so as to inspire and motivate them to realize such visions and goals with increased efficiency. The leader has to communicate in a manner that will enable him to make sure that the workers and team members can see and understand what is expected of them. The involvement of the team, effectual listening, along with timely and clear communication are regarded as the key aspects of the goal oriented leadership style (DuBois et al., 2015). The leadership style stresses on the need for effectual communication as a prerequisite for getting goals, visions and objective attained in the workplace.

Directive Leadership Style

In the directive leadership style, the leader is tasked with assisting the team in attaining their individual work targets along with the set team targets through notifying them of the apt techniques and the direction to follow so as to attain the goals and objectives (Sjölander-Lindqvist, Johansson & Sandström, 2015). The leader, therefore, is regarded as the director who is tasked with supporting and enabling the team members to realize the goals easily and effectively through effective communication between the leader and the team.

People Centric or Employee Orientated

According to Johansson, Miller and Hamrin (2014), the employee oriented or people centric leadership style mainly entail two distinct kinds of workers within the team, namely; lazy and active workers. The active workers class include individuals who are not only self-motivated but are also enthusiastic to perform ensure that the allotted tasks are completed in time. On the other hand, the lazy employees include individuals who have to be encouraged and motivated to carry out their duties. In order to succeed, the leader has to be not only in contact but also in regular communication with the workers as this will ensure that the tasks are accomplished in time (Donate & de Pablo, 2015). The leader is, therefore, tasked with developing effectual strategies in relation to the employees’ need so as to ensure that they are effectively attached to their tasks. Owing to this, it can be noted that communication remains to be the single most vital aspect of the people oriented leadership style.

Leadership Style as per the Intellectual Level

Boies, Fiset and Gill (2015) opines that a leader has to fine-tune his or her leadership style through bearing in mind the maturity and intellectual level of the workers. Thus, within this context, maturity does not imply either the age or the sensitivity, but rather the work stability and propensity to tackle intricate situations, the potential to attain a set target. Effectual leaders normally make attempts at maintaining a better balance through the adjustment of the leadership technique that further additionally influences communication.

Behavioral Leadership Style

The behavioral leadership style tends to differentiate the two elementary leadership ways; one tends to be increasingly work-orientated and the other one is individual orientated. Inspiration, the ability to take responsibility. Knowledge, learning and accomplishment are the key blends of this leadership style. The behavioral leadership style is not reliant on a number ways;’ however, it hinges on the circumstances relating to why and where it must be utilized. The outcomes of the behavioral leadership style regards the view that in the course of communication, the associations have to possess adequate considerations to ensure that the interactions are successful.

Action Based Leadership Style

The action based leadership style proposes that the leader has to lay emphasis on three key functions, namely; individual, group and assignment (DuBois et al., 2015). The leader, therefore, must focus on the assignment offered, the team that is tasked with the assignment and team members’ individual issues, over and above making attempts geared at meeting the set deadlines through concentration on all at divergent times. Under action based leadership style, the team’s driving force entails getting the work accomplished, and, for that reason, the leader must sustain the focus of the team so as to realize the objectives. This makes it vital for the leader to increase and improve the balance existing between the tasks’ needs and the individual and team needs through regular and effective communication with the team and individuals.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, as observed above, management researchers and scholars have carried out studies to identify the manner in which leadership and communication are interrelated, why effectual communication is vital for management and leadership, as well as how communication is affected by diverse leadership style and the quality that makes leaders effectual communicators. Thus, from the above analysis, it can be concluded that effective leadership and effective communication lead to effectual leadership communication. It is impossible for a leader to be effective unless one is also an effective communicator and makes use of his abilities to enable individuals actively follow him. In this regard, the leader must also be knowledgeable and effectively communicate the knowledge to the team members. Additionally, the leader must be competent in motivating the team to realize those that appears impossible for others. Lastly, communication makes leaders effective as it enables improved understanding within the teams. Such understandings tend to generate some sense of trust amongst the workers in relation to the leader leading to the team working as a single unit and this also reinforces the congenial relations amongst the team members, over and above creating an exceptional work milieu.

References

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Bolden, R. (2016). Leadership, management and organisational development. In Gower    handbook of leadership and management development (pp. 143-158). Routledge.

Donate, M. J., & de Pablo, J. D. S. (2015). The role of knowledge-oriented leadership in   knowledge management practices and innovation. Journal of Business Research, 68(2),         360-370.

DuBois, M., Koch, J., Hanlon, J., Nyatuga, B., & Kerr, N. (2015). Leadership Styles of Effective             Project Managers: Techniques and Traits to Lead High Performance Teams. Journal of      Economic Development, Management, IT, Finance & Marketing, 7(1).

Johansson, C., D. Miller, V., & Hamrin, S. (2014). Conceptualizing communicative leadership:     A framework for analysing and developing leaders’ communication    competence. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 19(2), 147-165.

Men, L. R. (2014). Strategic internal communication: Transformational leadership,             communication channels, and employee satisfaction. Management Communication     Quarterly, 28(2), 264-284.

Sjölander-Lindqvist, A., Johansson, M., & Sandström, C. (2015). Individual and collective           responses to large carnivore management: the roles of trust, representation, knowledge            spheres, communication and leadership. Wildlife Biology, 21(3), 175-185.