Even in the worst of times, convey both competence and connection
In the middle of the dreadful and dramatic events we’ve seen in Australia in recent months, have you noticed that senior leaders in the public eye have communicated in VERY different ways?
I’m not going to name names, but I imagine you’ll connect the dots.
One leader was rock solid in delivering information; gaze unwavering during media conferences, voice strong and message clear. When put under pressure, they stayed calm and mostly resisted the temptation to get defensive.
Another struggled to maintain steady eye contact in interviews and all-in media scrums; moving their head around, voice fading in and out, looking quite uncomfortable.
A third projected presence and consistent steadiness, while also using regular, everyday language that encouraged rapport and relatability.
Which of these styles seemed most effective to you?
In fairness, example number 1 was a leader in uniform. That firm, one-way delivery was entirely appropriate given the very serious circumstances.
For me, example number 3 demonstrated the most effective mix of both authority/strength and relatability/warmth.
This doesn’t come naturally to most leaders – in the heat of the moment, we tend to either lean heavily into our subject matter expertise or over-cook the empathy and focus too much on “playing nice”.
I’m sure we all hope none of us ever has to communicate in deeply tragic circumstances like we’ve seen recently. But whatever your high-stakes environment, take the insights from recent events and apply them to your own communication.
In turmoil, people want clarity and certainty (even if it’s what to expect in the next five minutes)
Tell it straight and don’t sugar-coat the facts
Clearly telegraph your competence so people can trust that you have their back, balanced with genuine care and connection.
Which of these will be most important for you to develop this year?
