Great communicators make complicated things simple.
It is easy to make simple things complicated – especially with a lot of expertise. Strong communicators go the other way: they make complicated things simple without distorting them.
The quality in detail
Four steps through the quality: understand, check, connect, apply. Open any topic to read more.
The core messageWhat the quality means – and what it doesn’t
Strong communication makes complicated things understandable. When you lead, you speak in a way that lets others understand where things are going and what they should do.
- It does not mean
- That you should cut corners or gloss over things. Simplifying means making the essentials clear, not leaving out what matters.
- That communication is just talking. Listening, asking questions and real openness to dialogue are part of it; otherwise others will not get behind your ideas.
- Strictly speaking
- Well established: clear language is more readily believed and seen as trustworthy, while needlessly complicated language makes you seem less intelligent. Many of these findings, however, come from lab experiments outside leadership practice.
- Clarity increases the impact of a message, not its truth. A simple, false message persuades more easily than a difficult, true one – which is why simplifying requires honesty.
- Applies to
- Strategy papers and team meetings in a company, to sermons and church meetings, to club meetings, and to conversations at the family table where children need to understand what the rules are.
The explanationWhat the quality means and why it matters
Whether in a project, a team or a whole organization: anyone who carries responsibility must be able to explain, inspire, energize, hand over tasks clearly and listen.
Others are more likely to support ideas when they experience genuine openness to dialogue.
A simple rule of thumb: what people don’t understand, they don’t pass on. What is easy to understand also comes across as more credible – so clarity is not a matter of style but a form of respect for those who listen.
The signs3 signs the quality is present · 3 that it is missing
- You can explain your most important goal in two sentences, and others repeat it correctly in their own words.
- After meetings, everyone knows what was decided and who is doing what by when.
- You check whether you were understood instead of assuming it.
- You use jargon and long slide decks, and afterwards everyone implements something different.
- What you say arrives differently once it has been passed on through leaders or committees, and the same questions keep coming back.
- You talk more than you listen and wonder why you lack support.
The research5 sources: 4 primary studies, 1 review · 2006–2014 · with the limits of the research
- low
- moderate
- high
High – Leader communication style; comprehensibility and processing fluency.
- 2006Daniel M. Oppenheimer
Needlessly complicated language makes authors seem less intelligent.
- 2009Adam L. Alter & Daniel M. Oppenheimer
Easily processed information is judged truer, more likable and more trustworthy.
- 2010Reinout E. de Vries, Angelique Bakker-Pieper & Wyneke Oostenveld
Leadership styles can largely be described as communication styles.
- 2014Andrew M. Carton, Chad Murphy & Jonathan R. Clark
Image-based goal language, paired with a few values, improves coordination and performance.
- 2014Linjuan Rita Men
Transformational leadership affects employee satisfaction via symmetrical internal communication.
Well supported. The fluency findings come mostly from lab experiments outside the leadership context.
The originJohn C. Maxwell · “Communication”
- 1999OriginJohn C. Maxwell
The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader, Quality 4
- CommunicationIn essence: whoever wants to lead must communicate in a way that helps people understand and come along.
- todayWEGVISOR: Communication
The WEGVISOR version of “Communication” puts the emphasis on making complicated things simple. Research gives good support to the value of clear language; keep in mind that simplicity increases impact but says nothing about whether the message is right.
The related qualities and lawsL10 Connection · Q11 Listening · Q16 Responsibility · L06 Solid Ground
Communication creates connection when it reaches the other person. Whoever speaks clearly and warmly touches a heart before asking for a hand.
Listening is the other half of communication. You can only simplify what you have understood – including other people’s concerns.
Communicating clearly is part of your responsibility. When misunderstandings arise, you first ask what you said unclearly.
Trust grows when words are clear and match actions. Unclear or shifting messages erode the solid ground.
The action points5 stages of growth – from first awareness to passing it on
- Become aware Reread a message you sent this week through the recipient's eyes and mark the spot where they would have to ask what you mean.
- Lay the foundations When you prepare an important message or announcement this week, first sum up its core in one single clear sentence and put that sentence at the start.
- Make it a habit After every important announcement, ask what was understood instead of assuming it, and for one week note where what was said and what was understood drifted apart.
- Deepen deliberately Explain your most complicated current topic to someone with no background in two minutes, then ask for honest feedback on what was unclear or too long-winded.
- Pass it on This month, agree a simple standard for clear messages with the people you work closely with, such as key point first, and give each other feedback on it; if you lead leaders, check together how your messages land one level further down.
The reflection questions5 questions for you or a conversation with others
- Can I state the most important goal in my area of responsibility in one sentence a child would understand?
- When did I last check what actually got through to others – including where my message is passed on?
- Where do I hide behind jargon because I am not yet clear myself?
- What do I leave out when simplifying that actually matters?
- Whom do I listen to too little, even though I need their support?
Take your time with one question. Write down your answer – or talk it over with someone you trust.
The picture to rememberA tangled mess smooths out into a clear line with a direction.
- A tangled mess smooths out into a clear line with a direction.
What communication looks like in practice
The Zen Master who turned superstars into a team
Phil Jackson explained the complex Triangle Offense so clearly that every player knew his role. With stories, quotes and one-on-one talks he forged stars like Jordan, Bryant and O’Neal into teams that won 11 NBA titles.
Fighting a conspiracy with words
As consul in 63 BC, Cicero exposed the Catilinarian conspiracy; his speeches “In Catilinam” were brilliant yet clear to a broad audience. He blended logic, credibility and emotion – and spoke out even at the risk of his life.
A stammering king finds his voice
King George VI struggles with a speech impediment and feels unfit for his role. Working with speech therapist Lionel Logue, he finds his voice – and his wartime speech reaches his people with gravity, compassion and hope.
