The Danger Of Communicators Being Concerned With Their Own Image
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Shannon Miles is one of the most competent female business leaders in America today. Along with her husband Bryan, they founded MAG Advisory Group (MAG). This organization was just recognized by Inc. Magazine as the 131st fastest growing company in America. MAG is the parent company of the brands eaHELP, a virtual assistant company and MAG Bookkeeping, a virtual bookkeeping company for churches and non-profits.
Recently, Shannon wrote an insightful article on leadership, communication and authenticity. I wanted to pass her comments along to you. Please read the following:
Two of the primary values that drive my leadership (and Bryan’s, as you can read about here) are authenticity and transparency. I want my team to know that I mean what I say, and say what I mean. I want them to communicate with me in that same way, so I can trust that what I’m hearing from them is the truth about what’s happening in our businesses – the good and the not-so-good.
I’m not naïve enough to think that anyone reading this blog hasn’t worked for a leader who didn’t mean what they said – or worse, used words and phrases designed to make you think they were on your side when quite the opposite was true.
I was at a graduation ceremony once where the speaker, a full-grown adult in leadership who should have known better, unloaded on a room full of students some really harsh ideas. His speech was full of phrases like, “Today isn’t about you… I’m going to tell you what life is really like… I’m doing this because I care about you…” and on and on and on. It felt so wrong to hear this kind of language at a graduation, a time that should have been full of hope and celebration, because I knew what many of these students hadn’t learned yet – this speaker was making it all about him while pretending he was motivated by concern for the students. He wasn’t. He was trying to deliver a shock and awe speech to get attention, and it was uncomfortably obvious to many of us in the audience.
As a leader, the disconnect between the messages you think you’re sending and what your team is hearing and seeing around them can be huge. If the gap grows too large, or grows unchecked for too long, your people will leave you for leaders that they feel like they can trust.
What messages are you sending your team through your communication? Are you driven by a need for authenticity, or are you more concerned with your own image and position?
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