You respect the power of communication

• You accept that being a leader/communicator IS your job. You invest energy in mastering this essential skill because . . .
• You know that the words you say and the things you do are the tools to drive the outcomes you must achieve

You are the ‘Chief Repeating Officer’

• You embrace repeating yourself. You know that not everyone will get it the first time you deliver your message. Or even the sixth.
• You know that consistency reassures your team, customers, and investors, while a constantly changing story does not.
• You see that repetition may be super boring, but repairing misperceptions is worse.

You put your audiences first

• You use the Who What What table to elucidate what your audience needs.
• You are as transparent as it is responsible to be, because information empowers everyone to make better decisions.

You master your channels

• You realize that external comms are internal comms and vice versa. Your teams will read everything that gets written about your company. Your all hands deck or strategy email may be leaked. You plan accordingly.
• You experiment, you adapt. Only three customers downloaded your 14-page white paper on the new strategy? You try a two-minute video instead.

You listen

• You stop talking because you know that you don’t know what you don’t know.
• You’re always open to the better idea.
• You take in and learn from tough feedback. You accept internal and external coaching.

You know and manage yourself

• You are clear-eyed about your strengths and weaknesses as a leader/communicator.
• You manage your expectations. You know that not everyone will see what you see or agree with you, especially at first. Nevertheless, you persist, communicating with grace, patience, and good humor.

When you embrace these essentials you’ll be miles ahead of other leaders who are lost in the fog, incapable of understanding why no one is following them.