Communication

Douglas Conant’s mantra may be the simplest and best advice a leader can hear. Conant, the former CEO of Campbell Soup Company, understands that being heard — and remembered — is extraordinarily hard. Clarity, simplicity, grace, and sheer repetition are the hallmarks of how good leaders communicate. There are many barriers to communication — and some of them are self-imposed. Especially in times of uncertainty and disagreement, it is tempting simply not to try very hard. But poor communication severs the bond of trust that holds groups united in common purpose. It breeds confusion, anxiety, and distrust. Leaders, to achieve their greatest purposes, must keep others informed, aligned, and engaged.

In this light, communication is not a soft skill. It’s the hard discipline of showing up again and again, of listening closely and speaking clearly, of telling the truth even when it costs something.

Malcolm X, the great agitator for freedom and equality, understood this. He was, above all, a communicator — fierce, unflinching, and razor-sharp. After breaking with the Nation of Islam, he spoke with even greater clarity: “I’m for truth, no matter who tells it. I’m for justice, no matter who it’s for or against.”

That truth-telling came at a price. Malcolm X was assassinated in 1965, at the tragically young age of 39, by those who now perceived him as an enemy. He never softened his voice. He believed in the power of words to unsettle, to clarify, and — eventually — to build. And he knew that communication, if it is to matter, must come from a place of conviction.

In many leadership failures the root cause isn’t a lack of intelligence or strategy. It’s a failure to communicate.