May 15, 2025
“Practice does not make Perfect; Practice makes permanent Practice Makes Permanent.”

Nicki Keohohuo, Direct Selling World Alliance

Do you remember when you learned to ride a bike, skate, or drive a car? All of those tasks required skills to learn, but without persistent practice, they failed; the same is true for the leadership capacity of communication. The critical capacity to communicate powerfully is not only a skill but a discipline built on four essential pillars: mighty, curious questions; powerful, present listening; powerful pause to reflect and respond; and persistent, patient practice. Persistent patient practice is the lynchpin of effective communication. Persistent patient practice is what creates permanent skills. A continual, intentional pattern of persistent patient practice is needed as the capacity demanded of communication for leaders expands. The Management and Strategy Institute, in a staff-written blog entitled Top 10 Leadership Habits for Daily Success, reported that communicating with clarity and purpose is the #2 daily habit behind starting your day with a plan. The authors wrote, “Great leadership is built on clear, purposeful communication. Leaders interact with employees, peers, and stakeholders daily, and how they communicate shapes workplace culture, productivity, and trust. Effective leaders ensure that their messages are heard and understood—eliminating confusion, aligning teams, and keeping everyone focused on shared goals.”

George Bernard Shaw often said, “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place. “Sadly, despite all the research, training, coaching, and emphasis on communication for leaders to establish vision, understanding, clarity, and agility, this is true in leadership. Communication is considered a top leadership deficit. Several studies show communication by leadership to be a persistent challenge in organizations, as there is a discrepancy between how leaders rate their communication effectiveness and how their followers perceive it. Leaders consistently overrate their communication skills. Research consistently shows that leaders tend to rate their own communication and leadership abilities higher than their followers do. This gap, often called the “Leadership Perception Gap,” has significant implications for trust, engagement, and organizational culture. This overestimation can stem from several factors, yet no matter how much talent, knowledge, or ability leaders have, if they don’t experience continual improvement, they will fail.

Article content

Thursday’s Leadership Insight looks at the fourth pillar of the capacity for effective communication for leaders’ persistent patient practice. It describes the importance of persistent patient practice in each of these elements. Eighth, strategies introduced to strengthen this pillar are discussed, and five benefits of building persistent patient practice for leaders, their teams, and organizations are shared.

Effective communication is the cornerstone of outstanding leadership, but mastery doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a building built on four pillars: asking powerful, curious questions; practicing powerful, present listening; embracing the powerful pause to reflect and respond; and, crucially, engaging in robust, persistent, and patient practice. This fourth pillar is critical to the effectiveness and makes the first three sustainable and transformative.

Why Practice Matters:

Leadership is a long, never-ending journey, not a destination. Continual self-improvement is required. Patience and persistence are often undervalued in a world that prizes speed and immediate results. Yet, as leadership expert John Maxwell notes, “Nothing worth achieving comes easily. The only way to fail forward and achieve your dreams is to cultivate daily tenacity and persistence.” Patience allows leaders to focus on long-term goals, build strong relationships, and develop their teams’ skills. At the same time, persistence keeps them moving forward through setbacks and slow progress. Ryan Leak, author of How to Work With Complicated People, challenges leaders to ask, “What is it like to be on the other side of me?” and “What is it like to be you?” These questions are not just reflective- they demand honest feedback and a willingness to grow, both of which require persistent, patient practice.

Integrating Persistence, Patience, and Practice

To refine the first three pillars of powerful questions, present listening, and the pause to reflect and respond, leaders must:

Persist in seeking feedback and improvement, even when it’s uncomfortable, or progress is slow

Practice patience by allowing time for growth, both for themselves and others, and by viewing setbacks as learning opportunities rather than failures.

Engage in deliberate practice, using every interaction as a chance to improve their questioning, listening, and reflective response skills. Practice turns the pause into a habit. Leaders learn to reflect before responding, ensuring their communication is thoughtful and tailored.

By combining these elements, leaders create a feedback loop: asking, listening, pausing, and then practicing again, each time getting closer to communication mastery.

“Wanting to win isn’t enough. You have to go through a process to improve. That takes patience, perseverance, and intentionality of practice.” John Maxwell
Eight Strategies to Make Practice Permanent

1. Commit to the hard work and humility to learn and grow daily
2. Ask for Feedback Regularly: Use questions like Ryan Leak’s-“What is it like to be on the other side of me?”-to gain honest insights from your team.
3. Reflect After Every Interaction: After meetings or conversations, take time to consider what went well and what could be improved.
4. Embrace Failure as Feedback: View mistakes as opportunities to learn, not as reasons to stop trying.
5. Schedule Practice and Feedback Sessions: Set aside time to intentionally practice asking questions, listening, and pausing before responding.
6. Model Humility and Vulnerability: Share your learning moments and invite your team to do the same, creating a safe environment for growth10.
7. Celebrate Small Wins: To build momentum, recognize progress in communication skills, both in yourself and your team.
8. Stay Consistent and Give Your Grace: Make communication practice a daily habit, not just an occasional focus. Remember, this will be an up-and-down process. Be kind to yourself and others.

Ask yourself, “What is it like to be on the other side of me?” and ask your team, “What is it like to be you?”

Ryan Leak

Five Benefits for Leaders

1. Improved Decision-Making: Patience and reflection lead to better, more thoughtful decisions
2. Greater Resilience: Persistence through setbacks b builds adaptability and confidence

3 .Deeper Connected Relationships: Consistent practice of listening and questioning fosters trust and connection.

4. Enhanced Emotional Intelligence capacity

Honest feedback, reflection, and hard work will enhance the ability to be self-aware, manage oneself, and be mindful of others in social areas and relationships

5 Sustainable Growth: Ongoing practice ensures continuous improvement and relevance as a leader7.

Five Benefits for Teams and Organizations

1. Higher Morale: Teams feel valued and heard, boosting engagement and satisfaction.
2. Increased Trust: Patient, persistent leaders create a culture of psychological safety
3. Better Collaboration: Open, reflective communication strengthens teamwork and problem-solving
4. Greater Learning and Innovation: Safe environments for feedback and learning from mistakes encourage creativity.
5. Sustainable Success: Consistency in communication builds a foundation for sustainable performance and growth.

“Fail early, fail often, but always fail forward.”

John Maxwell

Making Practice Permanent

The journey to becoming a powerful communicator is ongoing. As John Maxwell puts it, “Fail early, fail often, but always fail forward.” By embracing the fourth pillar of being powerful, persistent, and patient, leaders not only refine their skills but also inspire growth, trust, and excellence in those they serve. Ask yourself, “What is it like to be on the other side of me?” and ask your team, “What is it like to be you?” These questions, utilized with the other three pillars of powerful communication capacity, are made permanent by persistent and patient practice. By making persistence, patience, and practicing daily habits, leaders move from reactive management to intentional, legacy-building leadership. This approach not only drives long-term results but also fosters a culture where teams feel supported, resilient, and empowered.

The Leadership Question for you, then, is

Are you willing to persistently practice present listening, powerful, curious questions, and pause to respond and reflect in your leadership practice?