The Art of Effective Communication

The Art of Effective Communication: Why Clarity Is the Leadership Skill That Changes Everything

One of the biggest struggles we see in leadership and teams right now is (wait for it...) 

...poor communication.

Most of the time, it’s not because people don’t care or aren’t capable, it’s because they aren’t clear on what’s expected of them. And when clarity is missing, confusion, frustration, and preventable mistakes take its place.

Missed deadlines. Rework. Passive frustration. Tension between teams...Sound familiar?

All of it often traces back to one thing: expectations that were never clearly communicated.

Clarity Is Preventative Leadership

There’s a quote we come back to often here at Monarch:

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

In leadership, communication is that prevention.

When leaders take the time to provide clarity upfront, and confirm understanding, they dramatically reduce future conflict, disengagement, and inefficiency. Clear communication doesn’t slow teams down; it actually speeds them up by eliminating guesswork.

Why Communication Is Harder Than Ever

If people struggled to communicate effectively in person, imagine how much more complicated it’s become now that most communication happens virtually.

Zoom. Slack. Email. Teams. Text. We’ve removed tone, body language, and context, yet we expect alignment to magically happen.

This is where many leaders unintentionally miss the mark because they communicate in their preferred style, not necessarily the style their employees need.

The 4 Communication Styles Every Leader Should Understand

Similar to the idea of “love languages,” people have different communication styles. When leaders understand these, communication becomes more intentional and effective.

The four primary styles are:

• Relator – Values connection, trust, and storytelling

• Planner – Needs structure, details, and clear steps

• Adventurer – Thrives on vision, energy, and big-picture ideas

• Builder – Focused on outcomes, efficiency, and results

When communication breaks down, it’s often not because the message was wrong, but because it was delivered in the wrong style.

Communication Is More Than Just Words

We've all heard the phrase "it's not what you say, it's how you say it." And research consistently shows that body language, tone, and presence (or lack of it in a virtual setting) has more of an impact on how your message is received.

And then there’s one of the most overlooked leadership skills of all…Listening.

The 70/30 Rule

Effective communicators don’t dominate the conversation. They listen.

A simple rule to practice in collaborative meetings, and when talking with an employee or co-worker is to Listen 70% of the time, and only talk 30%.

When leaders listen more than they speak, they gain insight, build trust, and uncover misalignment before it becomes a problem.

A Leadership Question to Reflect On

Whenever you are unsure of how your communication was received, stop to think:

"Am I communicating to be understood, or just to be heard?"

If your team seems disengaged, confused, or frustrated, it may not be a performance issue. It may be a communication mismatch.

Ready to Strengthen Your Communication as a Leader?

If you want to better understand how you communicate, and how to adapt your style to connect more effectively with others, download our free Communication Styles Assessment.

👉 Download the free Communication Styles Assessment

Because clarity isn’t just good communication.
It’s good leadership.