March 26, 2026

Communication is an Intentional act of connection based on awareness of clues, communication  styles, and application to expand  communication capacities.”

Communication is probably one of the most commonly used terms in leadership articles, books, podcasts, and other sources. Communication is also probably one of a leader’s biggest assets or downfalls. Consider in your own leadership practice have you ever heard; Oh, That is what you meant,or no one told me or my personal favorite Oh, That new policy you talked about applied to me?” George Bernard Shaw is reported to have said  “the single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place”, but it is more accurately linked to William H. Whyte, who used it in a 1950 article. This quote emphasizes that just because words are exchanged, it does not guarantee that true understanding has occurred. In summary, the belief that communication has taken place can lead to significant misunderstandings and hinder effective interactions.

This point was illustrated in a recent Minute with Maxwell, a free subscription resource from Maxwell Leadership. John and other Maxwell leaders speak on a word every weekday morning and how it applies to leadership. Recently, a Maxwell VP., Jared Cagle, spoke on communication. He shared a story many of us can identify with. Jared was making lunch for his three boys. They all wanted grilled cheese sandwiches. He thought it was easy enough until he had to serve lunch. One said he refused to eat it because he didn’t want butter on a particular side. Another refused to eat it because he wanted a different type of cheese. One was perfectly happy. They all heard the same message, yet 2/3 refused the product. Jared made the point that this incident was his problem as the leader. What he assumed was clear wasn’t, and he assumed the kids would want what he wanted without asking. Two assumptions, two uneaten  sandwiches, and two unhappy customers

The costs of miscommunication in organizations are staggering. Magda Occhicone, in a June 2025 article titled “By the Numbers: The True Cost of Poor Communication in the Workplace” for The Relational Method, reports that $62.4 million per year is the average loss due to poor communication for large companies (100,000+ employees), according to a report by SHRM and The Holmes Report.

For smaller businesses (100 employees or fewer), the annual loss still averages around $420,000 due to misunderstandings, missed information, and a lack of clarity.

She also notes the Human costs of turnover and retention, writing that 33% of employees say a lack of open, honest communication was one of the reasons they left a job (Gallup). Gallup’s report this past week also reports record-low levels of thriving in the workplace. She also notes a productivity gap, quoting a sales force report that states 86% of employees and executives cite ineffective communication as the leading cause of workplace failures.” The final factor noted is a cumulative response/reaction to the previous factors, particularly mental health issues, especially among Millennials and Gen Z. The major points of these articles and reports are that communication is a leadership responsibility.

This Thursday’s leadership Insight continues the theme of bringing your best self to your leadership practice. This week will mark the first of a six-part series on the leadership capacity of communication. This article will define communication as an expanding capacity and a learnable set of skills, and provide an overview of the four communication styles and the four pillars of effective communication capacity.

Communication defined

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines communication as a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a standard system of symbols, signs, or behavior. Duhigg, in The Supercommunicators, views communication as a form of human connection. Great communicators, as Charles Duhigg describes them in Supercommunicators, excel at reading emotional cues, asking powerful questions, and building authentic connections. They listen deeply, adapt to their audience, and foster psychological safety, especially in conflict or high-stakes situations. Communication is also a learnable expanding capacity. John Maxwell in The 16 Undeniable Laws of Communication and Stephen Covey in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People emphasize that leaders can and must—continually develop their communication skills through intentional practice, feedback, and self-reflection.

. Communication is the most important skill in life. We spend most of our waking hours communicating, yet we’re not always good at it. And if we want to succeed, we need to get better

Stephen Covey

Communication is also so much more than words. Words are actually a small yet critical part of communication. Albert Mehrabian, in his 1975 work on communication, noted that words account for 7%, voice and tone for 38%, and body language for 55% of communication. This research highlights two major points. First, the importance of being a keen observer of nonverbal communication; second, the power and importance of words. Words, whether questions or statements, must be intentional and connected. The challenge here is that people speak at 125 words per minute, yet we process at 400-800 words per minute. Words must make an impact, especially in an age of distraction, for all, especially Millennials, Gen Z, and Generation Alpha, due to their levels of screen usage. A leader must be fully present and in communication. Awareness of communication style and a framework for effective communication using the four pillars to enhance leadership communication capacity.

“Clear, effective communication isn’t a luxury — it’s a leadership responsibility.

Magda Oochonne

An overview of the four styles and four pillars of the leader’s Communication Capacity is below.

William Moulton Marston, a psychologist and inventor, published “Emotions of Normal People” in 1928, which introduced his DISC Personality System. Marston believed that people’s behavior was influenced by four behavioral traits: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Compliance. In the book, he described four communication styles. Marston’s DISC theory was further developed in the 1940s by Walter Clarke, who created the first DISC assessment. Since then, DISC has been widely used in various settings, including personal development, team building, and career counseling.

Today, many companies offer DISC assessments and training programs, and PeopleKeys is one of the leading publishers internationally. PeopleKeys has been providing DISC-based solutions for over 35 years and is a partner with Maxwell Leadership.

Today, that model is known as the DISC model and is widely used across sectors to help leaders enhance their communication effectiveness with others.

The four styles are

D Dominant, a fast-moving, results-oriented person

I Influencing /innovate  An outgoing, energetic, and innovative person

S Stable, steady, people-oriented systems thinker

C Compliant, a reserved, detail-oriented, reserved, and task-oriented person

Understanding nonverbal communication clues and communication style is enhanced with an intentional framework of effective communication and connection, the four pillars. They are described briefly below.

Present Listening:

The leader who is fully present, in listening and seeks to understand before being understood. Covey’s Habit 5, “Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood,” is foundational.

Powerful, Curious Questions: The leader learns to ask and apply open-ended, empathetic questions to uncover needs, perspectives, and solutions.

Pause to Respond and Reflect: The leaders uses  intentional pauses to process, reflect, and respond thoughtfully rather than reactively.

Practice: The leader continuously practices, seeks feedback, and adapts their communication strategies to improve.    Communication capacity  is enhanced by intentional practice.

Communication is an Intentional act of connection based on awareness of clues, communication styles, and the application of the four pillars of a leadership communication capacity. The second of this six-part series of articles will focus on nonverbal clues and communication styles. The final four articles in this series on leadership communication capacity will provide an in-depth examination of each pillar of the four-pillar framework for enhancing it.

Magda  Occhicone in the True Costs of Poor Communication in the Workplace closes with an insight for all leaders in any organization to come to grips with as an admonition or guidance: “Clear, effective communication isn’t a luxury — it’s a leadership responsibility. The numbers don’t lie: investing in communication is investing in your people, your performance, and your future.”

The Leadership Questions  for you then are

!. What is the state of your communication Capacity as a leader and your organization?

2. What will you choose to do to enhance your and your organization’s communication capacity?