Communication

GODSun Perspective on
Spirituality, Leadership and Business

July 2026                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Vol 0326

LEADERSHIP

One important tool in the arsenal of a good leader is good communication skills. I think we all instinctively know this but communication is not an easy skill to develop and maintain truthfully. Especially in this day and age in which we live where we are afraid to say anything that may offend or hurt someone’s feelings. And since we have to deal with this walking on ice process it is very difficult to have open and authentic communication. Yet this type of communication is the only kind that will enable sustainable change to happen.

If you are leading a project or an organization you need to be able to identify the obstacles/roadblocks to completion and success. But we need to do more than just identify them we need to address them with clarity and directness. How many of you have had to write a note or a report or speak directly to someone about something and you have agonized over the right words to use because you didn’t want to send the wrong message or you were afraid that maybe your words were too strong or people would over react? That happens when we are in an environment where good, healthy communication is not the norm.

Good, healthy communication is where we listen to understand not to respond. It is giving the speaker your undivided attention to ensure that you have understood what they are trying to relay and that you have given them the time they need to fully express themselves without interruption. It is also where you are safe to ask questions for clarification without being attacked or shut down. But I am not sure how many of us can have that type of communication on a consistent basis. I know that I have been in conversations where I have asked a question for clarification and the person has viewed the question as an attack instead. And that response hinders the ability to have good, healthy communication. People want to be understood but are not necessarily interestec in understanding the other person. As a result there is a lot of hesitation around being open and authentic in a work or volunteer environment.

I was actually quite shocked when I read an article that indicated that a very high percentage of leaders do not deal with conflict or issues. They allow it to remain, hoping that it will resolve itself because they do not want to be uncomfortable. In my mind, dealing with conflict is a problem solving process that requires good communication skills and the willingness to be uncomfortable for as long as it takes to solve the problem. When conflict is not being dealt with, that in and of itself is a form of communication. The leader is saying either that the situation isn’t important enough to deal with which means that the fallout and the people being impacted are not important enough to the organization or the project or I am more comfortable with the dysfunction than the inherent dis-comfort that will come as a result of dealing with the issue. That is one way to derail an organization or a project and to create a culture of dysfunction.

Unfortunately this kind of behaviour or poor communication can happen at the highest levels in any organization where no one is speaking truth. Everyone is saying what needs to be said to have peace but not to move the organization forward. As a leader it is vitally important that we develop good communication skills and that we desire good results more than maintaining a false level of comfort. Good communication is essential in every area of our lives. Are you a good communicator?

Sunday

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