The importance of taking people with you

There’s a common leadership misstep that’s easy to make and hard to spot: communicating in a way that makes sense to you rather than in a way that resonates with your audience.

In transformational leadership, the ability to take people with you—whether employees, board members, customers, or partners—is often the difference between progress and paralysis. And it doesn’t come from simply broadcasting your message more loudly. It comes from adapting how you communicate to meet people where they are.

It’s Not What You Say—It’s What They Hear

Research from McKinsey (2023) shows that change initiatives with strong stakeholder engagement are 3.5 times more likely to succeed. Yet many leaders still default to generic updates, vague vision statements, or overly technical briefings. The message doesn’t land—not because it’s wrong, but because it’s misaligned with the audience’s context.

Different groups have different priorities:

• Board members want clarity on risk, return, and strategic alignment.

• Customers want to understand how change benefits them, not your internal goals.

• Employees need honesty, stability, and a sense of purpose.

• Partners want to know how you’ll maintain collaboration and trust.

Meaningful Communication is Targeted Communication

Effective leaders tailor their approach:

• Use language that fits the audience—not corporate jargon.

• Be emotionally intelligent—sensing concerns and responding to unspoken questions.

• Be consistent but flexible—reinforcing the same core message in different ways.

This isn’t manipulation—it’s empathy. It’s the difference between speaking at people and truly engaging with them.

Communications Are Not a “Soft Skill”—They’re a Core Strategy

Never underestimate the importance of communications. A 2024 PwC report found that 86% of business leaders believe communication is critical to execution—but only 29% say their organisation does it well.

It’s time to elevate communication from afterthought to cornerstone. Because in business, as in life, people don’t follow plans—they follow clarity, confidence, and connection.