As a leadership communication expert, I am so often asked what the best style or approach to leadership is.
This is a really hard question to receive because 1) there is no universal, one-size-fits-all approach, and 2) it shows me how invested everyone is in bettering their leadership abilities.
And what can be the most frustrating but truly only fitting response (but we'll explore why it's also a freeing response): It depends.
It depends on the context, it depends on the audience, and it depends on a lot of factors. There are quite a few perspectives on this, but much of the research points to what are called Contingency Theories. Simply put, leadership communication is contingent upon multiple organizational factors. Some factors that have been identified are the task that’s being completed, the makeup of the workgroup, and even the leader’s personality, because it just wouldn’t make sense for a leader to behave in a way that isn’t authentic to themselves.
As my guest, Dr. Jen Ptacek so aptly points out "I think we’ve all said something in a moment and then went back and thought 'there was definitely a better way to say that' or maybe if I would have said 'this' instead, the conversation could have ended differently, and that’s what we’re getting at here. "
Let's dive into Reading the Room and Why Context Matters.
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