I decided to research what makes top CEOs and executives of leading US companies great communicators, I mean the ones that inspire. What do they have that us mortals don’t? And as it turns out… the majority are not such good communicators after all.
Research by Gallup shows that only 13% of employees in the United States view their leadership as strong communicators.
- Only 34% of the 13% say their leadership is engaged and
- Get this – only 15% (of the 13%) say leadership makes them feel enthusiastic about the future.
So, if most corporate leaders suck, what kind of people are good at those skills? Lawyers, military types, career politicians/government insiders who run for office? Nah! Most politicians have proven both at their speeches and in the minds of their employees that they are not inspirational leaders.
Forget serving the nation for now. When it comes to simply delivering a powerful message to their company, what’s the answer?
Aside from charisma, enthusiasm, and passion, a key ingredient is developing a strategic narrative.
Paint in Broad, Inspiring Strokes
Your employees need to know 4 things:
- Where you are headed,
- How you’re going to get there,
- Why you’re excited about it, and
- Why they should be, too.
There you have it. Those four bullets are the outline of your strategic narrative.
And, it can’t be part of a corporate manifesto. As a leader, you must communicate these four bullets in a 15-minute talk…20 minutes if you’re a great speaker.
Your message doesn’t have to nail down every little detail (that’s actually part of the problem sometimes). You can have your head of strategy staff write white papers about that stuff later. You just need to set a course. Think John F. Kennedy boldly predicting putting a man on the moon, Martin Luther King sharing his dream or Ronald Reagan demanding the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Remember, things can be running fine but it doesn’t mean that your employees care. Bain Research determined within the last 10 years that inspired employees are twice as productive as satisfied employees. Imagine that: 2,500 inspired people doing the work of 5,000 content ones.
Death by Unenthusiastic Leadership
This isn’t just rah-rah stuff. Creating your strategic narrative is part of your job.
Zenger Folkman, a leadership development organization released statistics in 2018 showing that 47% of people working for an uninspiring leader are often “thinking about quitting” and only 9% describe their leader as “effective overall.”
You’ve got to learn to craft that narrative.
When Howard Schultz left Starbucks, the place, frankly, kind of fell apart. Upon returning eight years later to the top leadership spot, he needed to let his employees know what went wrong and how they were going to fix it. He explained it very well in his book, Onward: How Starbucks Fought For Its Life Without Losing Its Soul.
“Starbucks’ coffee is exceptional, yes, but emotional connection is our true value proposition. Starbucks is not a coffee company that serves people. It is a people company that serves coffee.”
If you’re not a natural strategic narrative crafter, not a problem. Hire a writer! There’s a reason why companies like Walmart, Nike, and IBM have stayed on top this long. They are very careful and deliberate about creating their message not only to customers but also – and especially – to their beloved employees.
It’s time to change the corporate conversation.
Have the women leaders in your organization check out the International Women’s Leadership Academy, May 2020 two-day intensive in Philadelphia.
We are beyond excited about it and you can see more here: https://maricarmenpizarro.com/may-2020/
