Commit To Clarity

Consistent communication is the hallmark of an impactful leader.

- Jay Therrien And Jon Wortmann

What is the most important commitment for every leader?

The leader’s job is to get people from A to Z. Whether we do something new, change a company or the world, lead from the front or behind, leaders seek to accomplish a mission. Leaders plan to reach shared goals. Leaders inspire groups to go unimagined places. Leaders have a style. Leaders express a personality that fits the cause, role, or organisation. Leaders push and pull teammates in a compelling way. Leaders have to manage sometimes too, or, at a minimum, inspire the managers on teams to be effective. Whether leading or making sure the work gets done, leaders constantly communicate. The best leaders are, quite simply, the best communicators.

So what information does a leader need to communicate?

The answer is actually very easy: a leader communicates everything. There is no subject upon which the leader of an initiative, team, or firm can fail to communicate. That is not vague and overreaching, it is a fact of the leader’s calling. It is not a reality most leaders attend to strategically.

What, then, differentiates the leader who people want to follow and the one who gets murmured about in the halls and behind closed doors? What makes a leader an impactful communicator and someone others want to work for? What is the secret of the great leaders that communicate well? The answer is one word. Clarity. The answer is a commitment. It is what great leaders live to create. The best leaders in the world are committed to clarity.

Clarity around what?