Helen’s Blog

Communication in Leadership

Helen SewellHello and welcome to my blog, which aims to support excellent communication in leadership.

It’s great to get the chance to air my views on how people communicate – particularly those in the public eye, who should certainly be held to account for their communication style.

Superb communication is fundamental for smooth-running, successful companies, and the best business leaders act as communication role models.

Unfortunately not all business leaders are the best. The stresses and strains of running a business are often reflected in unhelpful communication. When time is of the essence, as it usually is, communication tends to suffer.

Uncomfortable communication in leadership

Those at the top do not always listen well, leaving others feeling frustrated. Even if you think you’re a great listener, chances are you sometimes switch off and focus on something else.

Time-pressed business leaders can also command rather than question, leading to resentment and loss of opportunities.

In terms of speaking style, people tend to copy what they see and hear – sometimes on purpose, sometimes subconsciously. It’s ridiculously easy to pick up a manner of speech, a regular filler word or a repeated idiosyncratic gesture.

So if you employ a certain approach to communication in leadership, it’s likely that others will emulate your method. After all, if it works for the person at the top, it’s obviously the accepted mode within the organisation.

But it’s not all about internal communications. If your internal communications are lacking in any respect, it’s hard to switch to an entirely different manner with external people. The unhelpful traits you use in internal meetings will inevitably creep in, usually without your knowledge.

Effective communication in leadership

If you want to communicate brilliantly at all times, and cascade your style down through the organisation, read on for my views on effective and ineffective communication in leadership. There is lots of information here, as well as tips and suggestions (of which there are plenty more in my free e-course).

If you’d like to see something featured in this blog, do drop a line to [email protected] and I’ll be delighted to consider your suggestions. And if you’d like to talk to me directly, please give me a call on +44 (0) 3333 660 999.

In the meantime, happy reading…

CEO Communication Coach reveals the secrets of influence

There’s no magic involved! Firstly, let me debunk a myth. There is no elusive, mysterious quality to being a compelling speaker or a compelling leader. As a long-standing CEO Communication Coach, I say this with confidence: I’ve researched it academically and practically with leaders from all over the world.   There is no X-factor, or ... Read more
Achieve agreement, supported by just six words

Achieve agreement: six words work wonders

Create clarity – use a helicopter view In communication terms, clarity is everything. Most of the time, this means explaining the implications of something rather than the details. However, when you work with data, it’s easy to lose sight of the implications – and who doesn’t work with data these days? If you can’t see ... Read more
Sleep and influence: a strong partnership but not great bedfellows

Sleep and influence: a sorely overlooked partnership

Sleep makes you more successful Every now and again life-changing concepts seem to appear out of nowhere. For me, a scientific book, “Why We Sleep”, written for laypeople, has really opened my eyes to the personal and professional value of sleeping well. Professionally, I’m fascinated by the very clear links between sleep and influence. These ... Read more
A healthy voice will never let you down when you need it most. An unhealthy voice risks failure.

Why CEO influence relies on a rich, healthy voice

The links between voice and impact are indisputable Research shows that CEOs with deeper voices are more successful, and that the CEO’s voice affects how investors perceive the company. In fact, the voice of a CEO appears to have a major impact on all stakeholders. For anyone leading a company, a healthy voice is de ... Read more
Sift your information carefully to yield a strong key message.

How CEOs can unearth a valuable, strong key message

Are you a Senior Executive who’s missing the point? You can’t influence without a strong key message. Yet leading executives often struggle to find a golden nugget of information to convey. My clients have a ‘light bulb moment’ when I show them how to frame their ideas differently to achieve buy-in. As one CEO told ... Read more
Sad pug puppy: too much animal violence in office jargon

Animal violence in office jargon (and other unpardonable offences)

Fighting talk at the desk I’ve noticed recently that seemingly innocent office jargon is evolving into a series of offensive metaphors. Workplace slang increasingly features horrific violence – the bloodier and gorier the better. For example, it’s no longer good enough to work with a ‘cutting edge’ company. These days, ‘bleeding edge’ is de rigeur. We ... Read more
CEO branding: how do you want to be seen as a leader?

CEO branding: how to win hearts and minds

Build your individual brand for corporate success  In today’s world it is no longer enough for a CEO to deliver financial performance alone. As CEO, you are also judged on your ability to enhance intangible assets and create non-financial returns. This depends on the effectiveness of your CEO branding. Influential and well-respected CEOs build personal ... Read more
PowerPoint presentations or naked presenting’?

PowerPoint presentations undressed: the ‘Emperor’s New Clothes’ of the business world

Are people too polite to mention that your slides are awful? Remember the tale of the Emperor’s New Clothes? Where a vain leader was sold an innovative new suit that was only visible to the smartest people? You’ll recall that those who couldn’t see it were either stupid or incompetent. Of course, the egotistical Emperor ... Read more
CEO communication in financial services is not just standing on stage and presenting

CEO communication: an unspoken challenge for Financial Services

Lack of emphasis on great communication CEO communication is a significant consideration for most business leaders, with many Chief Executives placing heavy emphasis on interpersonal communication, both internally and externally. Most support the philosophy of software CEO, Sarah Nahm, who says: “I don’t think there’s anything a leader can invest in more than thinking about ... Read more
Helen Sewell: gagged from mentioning communication training clients

Communication training – a dirty little secret?

Gagged! I am the skeleton in the closet of several large clients – their dirty little secret. I am banned from sharing that I’ve worked with them. This has nothing to do with the quality of my communication training (other companies give me great testimonials). It seems this gagging order is down to extreme confidentiality ... Read more
How to ensure your crisis communications minimise the damage to your corporate reputation

Crisis communications: reducing reputational damage

When it hits the fan Crises happen. Despite the best-laid plans, there is always an opportunity for something to fail: often systems, people and/or finances. The big number in the news this week is 400,000. 400,000 Ryanair passengers are likely to have their flights cancelled after the Irish budget airline messed up its pilots’ holiday ... Read more
Present with Powerpoint successfully

How to present with PowerPoint for maximum impact

Perform to impress Are you a slide-reader? Does PowerPoint tear your gaze away from the room and force you to stare backwards at the wall behind you? Go on, admit it. I bet you spend far too long looking your slide deck and not enough time connecting with your audience. I’m sure you’ve attended numerous Death ... Read more
Communicating CSR

Communicating CSR: media or social media?

Getting the CSR message across Communicating CSR (corporate social responsibility) is increasingly important. It can influence leaders and opinion leaders, maximise business opportunities and increase employee morale and reputation. It can differentiate between responsibility and irresponsibility and distinguish ethical behaviour from questionable conduct. In short, it is something every organisation should consider. Today I’d to explore two important channels ... Read more
The influence of the authentic voice

The authentic voice in politics

Oxymoron or reality? When we hear someone speak, our immediate gut feeling tells us whether we should trust them. Research suggests we should listen to our initial instincts – they’re stunningly accurate. But can we be misled by political performance posing as true leadership? Do we delude ourselves that we hear an authentic voice when in ... Read more

Politics and body language

Can body language really affect election results? When people assess politicians in the media, physicality and body language have a significant, albeit subtle effect. It’s said they can swing a close-call election, although this is controversial. The claim arises from the very first televised leadership debate, which took place in the US in September 1960. Around 70 million viewers watched ... Read more
Effective messaging: you’re dead in the water without it

Effective messaging: why so many fail

Read on for my offer of free individual advice With hundreds of business communications demanding our attention each week, and thousands of marketing messages every day, we forget most of what we see, hear and read. Even pictures – said to be worth a thousand words – are sometimes of little value in the long run. ... Read more
Communication stress adversely affects pitches and presentations, media interviews and meetings.

Communication stress: the secret bane of business

From client meetings to boardrooms It almost makes me weep to see so many high-flying execs painfully stressed about important events. Offices around the world would be much happier places if senior personnel recognised that this overwhelming anxiety is unnecessary. Work would become more productive without endless hours spent on something which probably needs a fraction of the ... Read more
Does your English pronunciation affect how people perceive you?

English pronunciation and accent discrimination

Making and breaking careers Whether you are a native or non-native English speaker, your accent can play a major role in how you are perceived. Surveys show that accents have an impact “on success, in employment, social life and elsewhere”. Sadly, and very unfairly, ‘accentism’ appears to be an acceptable prejudice. Take singer Cheryl Cole, who was sacked as ... Read more
Make eye contact to win friends and influence people

Make eye contact to boost your influence

Do you REALLY know what you’re doing? Most people think they make eye contact perfectly well in a business situation. Most people fail to recognise that what they think of as eye contact is not really eye contact at all – at least not in the influential way that they expect. This is hardly surprising. ... Read more
Use communication in leadership to engage an audience, regardless of your words

Communication in leadership: who cares what you say anyway?

The power of communication in leadership How much truth is there in the old adage, “it ain’t what you say, it’s the way that you say it”? Is this merely urban myth? Can you really engage an audience and hold them in the palm of your hand while speaking pure flimflam? Well yes, actually you can. You ... Read more