When Leaders fail to share their thoughts,
it can lead to turmoil among the troops.

In The Five Messages Leaders Must Manage (HBR, May 2006), John Hamm explains why.  He says:  "In the absence of clear communication that satisfies the urgent desire to know what the boss is really thinking, people imagine all kinds of motives. The result is sloppy behavior and misalignment that can cost a company dearly."

So why don't leaders spell things out? Hamm's surprising answer: 'They don't want to feel that they are talking down to people by providing what seems like unnecessary detail or context.'

Wrong answer. Dolts!

A Leader who communicates strategy clearly stands a much better chance of success than one who communicates a brilliant strategy poorly. But a leader who can clearly convey what he/she is thinking and feeling stands the best chance of all.

In Building Your Company's Vision (HBR September-October 1996), Jim Collins and Jerry Porras write,"Passion, emotion, and conviction are essential parts of the vivid description that move people to action". Don Moyer also gives his two cents and says, "Those things transform a leader's message from everyday to extraordinary-just as they can turn a run-of-the-mill concert into a bravura performance." (Don Moyer, Panel Discussion, HBR January 2008)

Your thoughts?

"An idea well-expressed is like a design of gold, set in silver." - Solomon