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Leadership is an important part of any successful business. As you know, a good leader can inspire, motivate and guide their team to achieve their goals, and it is crucial during accelerated change. However, poor leadership can cause good employees to leave the company and decrease the motivation and productivity of the remaining employees.

Before I tell you the answer, take a moment to stop and think: What do you think is the #1 reason that 'destroys' leadership in organizations?

It's the lack of effective communication skills.

Communication is the cornerstone of effective leadership. Poor communication can lead to a number of negative consequences, including lost productivity, missed deadlines and conflict within the team. According to a study by the Project Management Institute, ineffective communication is the leading cause of project failure one-third of the time. In addition, a study by CareerBuilder found that 58% of managers receive no formal training in communication.

So why do so many leaders struggle with communication? There are several factors, including lack of training, cultural differences and personality traits. However, the most common problem is a failure to prioritize effective communication. Leaders may be too focused on achieving results or too busy to take the time to communicate effectively with their team.

To avoid this, leaders need to prioritize effective communication:

 

- Actively listen and pay full attention to team members: this means paying attention to what they say and showing interest in their ideas and concerns.

- Choose the best communication method for each situation, whether 'face-to-face, via email or messaging apps: Different situations require different communication methods, and leaders must be able to adapt to each situation. The Enterprise Agility University's Change Journey Pyramid is highly recommended here as it provides a solid foundation for determining which communication style is most appropriate for each individual involved in the change process.

- Encourage feedback and face-to-face conversations to build strong relationships with team members: Feedback is important to improve communication, and face-to-face conversations help build trust and relationships.

 

In addition, poor leadership can cause good employees to leave and decrease the motivation and productivity of the remaining employees. To be a good leader, you need to put the needs of others first, actively listen, recognize and value your employees, and be transparent in decision-making. Leaders who fail to do these things show signs of poor leadership and can be detrimental to the success of their company.

One of the most important things a leader can do to improve communication is to lead by example. When a leader models effective communication, he or she sets the tone for the entire team. Leaders should communicate openly, honestly and transparently and encourage their team members to do the same. In this way, they can create a culture of open communication and collaboration that can lead to greater motivation, productivity and success.

And this can pave the way for the organization to start being always ready, always responsive, and always innovative.

Another way leaders can improve communication is by investing in training and development. Many leaders lack formal training in communication, and this can be a significant barrier to effective leadership. By investing in education and training, they can learn new communication strategies and techniques that will help them communicate more effectively. For example, Enterprise Agility University's M-Leadership program offers comprehensive training in effective communication and leadership skills.

To improve communication and trust, leaders can honestly ask for ideas from employees at all levels, open the organization to diverse perspectives, and protect creatives from bureaucracy. By tapping into employees' imaginations, fostering creative collaboration, and incorporating diverse perspectives, leaders can inspire and foster ideas that can drive innovation and success in their organizations.

As you can see, effective communication is the key to successful leadership in companies. Leaders need to prioritize communication by actively listening, choosing the best communication method for each situation, and encouraging feedback and face-to-face conversations. They must lead by example, invest in training and development, and foster a culture of open communication and collaboration. In this way, they can create a positive work environment that fosters innovation, productivity and success during accelerated change.

We're pleased to announce that the Trivalue Company (TVC) guide for change leaders and consultants worldwide is now available. This guide provides a practical framework for building sustainable organizations by integrating the foundations of accelerated change, exponential markets, and new building blocks for organizations.

TVC is the Enterprise Agility Business Model for today's and tomorrow's organizations exposed to high uncertainty and market disruptions. To complement the guide, we have created a video in English and Spanish that further explains the TVC model to executives and consultants worldwide.

Download the TVC guide here (o aquí para Español)

In addition to the TVC guide, we're pleased to announce the upcoming release of Aspects of Enterprise Agility: Roadmap to the present and future of organizations, a comprehensive guide to be released in late May. 

This guide provides a roadmap for achieving higher levels of Enterprise Agility that spans domains, sustainability levels and more, and takes a holistic approach that considers economic, social, human and others.

This approach enables companies to remain always ready, always responsive, and always innovative in the face of accelerating change and exponential markets. 

Both the Trivalue Company Guide and Aspects of Enterprise Agility: Roadmap to the present and future of organizations provide practical tools and resources for executives and consultants who want to incorporate the latest thinking to achieve sustainable growth, increased resilience, and improved performance across all areas of their business, outperforming traditional, Agile, and Business Agility models.

Whether you're just beginning your Enterprise Agility journey or looking to take your business to the next level, the TVC guide offers a wealth of resources and insights to help you succeed in today's dynamic business environment. Don't forget to tune in for the upcoming release of Aspects of Enterprise Agility: A Roadmap to the Present and Future of Organizations, where you'll learn more about the domains, sustainability levels, science, and emerging theories and practices behind TVC.