Passionate Communication

Passionate Communication

Let’s talk, for a minute, about passion. No, not the kind of passion you find on soap operas and in novels. I want to talk about passionate communication – enthusiastic or energetic workplace communication that produces enthusiasm or energy in others. Great leaders communicate in this manner — without going over the top. Can you? 

Connect

Communication – effective communication – is undeniably essential to successful leadership, and while it may be obvious that leaders should communicate clearly, honestly, appropriately and frequently, many leaders overlook the importance of communicating passionately. Your displayed passion leads your team to feed off of your zest and enthusiasm, adding your energy to their own. On the other hand, dispassionate communication leads to apathy. 

Behavior and Style

Communicating with passion requires action. Take the example of my client, Paul, whose emotions and drive are the very cornerstones of his business success. Although profoundly passionate about his work, Paul was too soft-spoken and reserved. His team viewed him as detached and dispassionate. His behavior did not sync with his thoughts and intentions. While he felt great excitement, his communication style betrayed him because he spoke in a monotone voice and showed minimal body language. Like many ascending leaders, Paul had been assuming that his team understood what he felt and meant, but his lack of displayed passion resulted in an apathetic workforce that felt, “He doesn’t care, so why should I?”

Communicate

Once we identified the problem, the solutions were relatively simple. I gave Paul very specific behavioral goals and tactics. Paul naturally began adding his own actions and energy. And, as he communicated with more passion – more and more people bought into his vision.

Effective leaders communicate clearly, honestly, appropriately, frequently, and with passion. Do you?

To learn more about changing your behavior to communicate more effectively, please refer to my book, Leading: The Way — Behaviors That Drive Success.