Tom Abbott, Partner – Strategy, reflects on the importance of leadership communications, and shares how internal comms teams can help senior leaders build confidence, authenticity and psychological safety when engaging with their workforce.

On a recent IoIC webinar focused on empathetic leadership, I discussed what internal communications teams can do to help their leadership communities engage with authenticity and empathy.

The point was made that companies have no problem providing their senior leaders with media training or investor training. Should a leader ever be summoned to a parliamentary select committee, they can expect weeks of intense coaching. However, how many organisations make the same investment in supporting leaders with employee communications?

Arguably, this aspect of the leadership role needs as much attention as speaking to journalists or answering questions at the AGM once a year. Given the vital role CEOs and leaders play in laying out strategy and priorities, and in setting the cultural tone of an organisation, can we simply assume that effective communication is a given when someone is elevated to the top table?

The consensus on the webinar was that CEOs and leaders need support to develop the skills required to communicate effectively with colleagues. How this happens, however, needs exploring.

We often talk about the role leaders play in establishing a culture of psychological safety. They are crucial in setting expectations and providing the cultural cues that guide the whole organisation.

When it comes to leadership communications, however, who creates an environment of psychological safety for the CEO and leadership team? That’s where internal communications teams can really add value. As trusted advisors to the executive team, we have a unique role to play in building leadership communication skills and confidence.

I’ve worked with several CEOs and senior leaders to develop their internal communications approach. In each instance, we created opportunities for leaders to practice in a safe space. We tested narratives and tones, giving leaders time to explore what felt natural when they had to step outside their comfort zone. This included consideration of body language and how they moved around spaces when presenting to colleagues – often in a very different physical environment from a media room or investor presentation.

Leadership is a team sport, so understanding the relationship dynamics between execs was an important building block of effective communication. It also helped establish a support system where execs could help each other improve and offer trusted feedback on performance.

None of this was about creating a specific persona or ‘act’ for a leader. It was all about creating space for them to develop their confidence in speaking openly and authentically with an audience that requires a very different approach from the usual corporate stakeholders.

Ideally, from our perspective as custodians of internal communications, we can build this before the moment a new leader faces their colleagues for the first time. If not, hopefully it won’t be an awkward experience that triggers the realisation that this area needs attention.

If you’d like to find out more about how we work with senior teams to develop communication skills and confidence, why not get in touch?