I have people come to my door to ask me to help them be better communicators.

Transformational Leaders are over-communicators. Not in the way one might think. Many leaders think that they communicate effectively with their team because they hold regular toolbox meetings. They see their teams often and often their teams see them. They hold meetings but often wonder if these meetings have any real value? A transformational leader chooses to communicate well and to communicate often. A transformational Leader doesn’t just see the people nor are they happy just to be seen. Transformational leaders have vision and they share what they see with their team. In fact, they include their team in the formulation of the vision.

Organisational success is about breaking the vision down into manageable timeframes and running successful projects. Communication is key to the success of a project. Communication is the reason that projects succeed at the highest level. It is also the reason that projects fail.

Some years ago, I worked in the Aboriginal Medical Centre in Redfern. In the kitchen was a poster that said “Everyone is unhappy. Nobody was asked to do anything. So nobody has done what anybody could of. If anybody did what nobody has done then someone would have done something and everyone would be happy.”

People management is all about having the right person in the right job for the right amount of time. It is about making sure that person has all the support that they need to get that job done in a good timeframe. It is about listening to hear what is missing and asking the right questions to ensure that all of the information and resources needed to complete the project are available to the right person at the right time. 

Transformational Leaders know how to communicate the vision. People will do just about anything for someone who communicates effectively with them. Very few people will over perform for a boss they don’t know, trust or like. Transformational leaders instill trust by effective communication. They are not over talkers, they are over-communicators. So they ask a lot of questions. Questions that they ask may include:

How did you know how to do that?

What else do you need to complete this project?

Who do you need to help you?

Are you free at 3pm on Friday afternoon?

These four questions imply that there will be praise for a job well done, empathy and understanding and resources, support where needed and celebration for a job well done. 

People need transformational leaders to help them succeed in every project. Set your team up for success and over communicate to the point where your team are laughing and joking about your enthusiasm and input. 

I have never had an employee come to my door to complain about a boss that was too happy, enthusiastic or too good of a communicator. 

Author – Leslie Hopping

Transformational Leader and Mentor