[January 24, 2017] As junior leaders we have our entire team surround us and, of course, talking to them is easy. As senior leaders, however, that is rarely the case and because of vast geographic dispersion, using other means to communicate is a necessity. Yet while many leaders recognize this fact, what they fail to see is that the speed, the scrutiny, and the sensitivity of everything are also much faster.
As a U.S. Army Battalion Commander when the 911 Islamic Terror attacks occurred, I rarely had any trouble communicating with anyone I desired to talk to. My office telephone, BlackBerry mobile device, personal cell phone, and other means like the U.S. Postal Service and FEDEX were available to me. After 911 came, we saw a whole new world.
The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq began and traditional means of communication were inadequate. When we were deployed, it was not unusual for the majority of our combat forces to be spread over the entirety of those two countries. “Change” was the buzzword of the day and sometimes our needs (like communication) evolved faster than people had time to really reflect on.
Instead of being able to get all the key leaders for a decision together in a single room and look them in the eye and build their confidence and get trust, leaders were now forced to use other techniques. While in combat we were able to use video teleconferences, chat, email, and some of us had satellite phones.
For the leader who wants to be successful, they have to use everything they can and not just for communication … but for leadership. A 22-year-old soldier operating alone, hundreds of miles from his command has got to communicate with confidence. That soldier’s leader must be able to build their faith that they will be there if needed. That’s a new kind of leadership for most of us.
In just the past few years, we’ve witnessed new, less encumbered, and freer means of communication that has changed the way leaders do business. The most prominent example is the new U.S. President Donald Trump’s use of Twitter; a popular social networking service. He used it effectively to help get his message out and it played a major role in his successful campaign to bypass much of the traditional media outlets.
Communication is the key to effective leadership. Leaders don’t have to be experts of technology, certainly not, but they do have to recognize that the more conduits to communication the better. Keeping in mind security, to use multiple forms of technology to communicate and build leadership is the epitome of a good leader.
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Great advice!! Thank you for sharing!