The Communication Scale: How Leaders Build Trust and Influence

The Communication Scale: How Leaders Build Trust and Influence

One of the greatest determinants of a leader’s success is their ability to communicate effectively. Leadership is influence, and influence is built on how well you connect with others. Whether addressing a team, speaking to an organization, or engaging in one-on-one conversations, your capacity to communicate will shape your leadership impact.

Unfortunately, many leaders overlook the importance of developing strong communication skills. Unless they frequently find themselves in front of large audiences, most leaders do not intentionally refine their ability to communicate. But the truth is, every leader, regardless of their role or audience size, must master the art of communication.

Understanding the Communication Scale

I want to introduce you to a concept that will change the way you view communication: The Communication Scale.

The biggest challenge leaders face when it comes to communication is perception versus reception. You might think you’re communicating effectively, but your team may not be receiving the message as clearly as you assume. Here’s the key principle:

Whatever level you think you are communicating at, your audience is receiving it at least two levels lower.

This means that if you believe your message was delivered at a 7 out of 10, your team most likely received it as a 5 at best. If you believe you were crystal clear at a 9, chances are your audience only received it at a 7 or lower.

This is not a negative statement—it’s just the nature of human communication. Things get lost in translation. Distractions, personal biases, misunderstandings, and lack of context can all diminish the clarity of your message.

You’ve probably experienced moments where you’ve shared something with your team only to find out later that they completely misunderstood or misinterpreted your intent. You may have thought you communicated a clear vision, yet your team walked away confused, unfocused, or even discouraged.

Bridging the Gap: How to Level Up Your Communication

If you want to be a highly effective communicator, you must compensate for this communication gap by being intentional, clear, and even a little over-the-top in your delivery. Here’s how:

1. Over-Communicate Your Key Messages

Just like actors on stage must exaggerate their expressions so that even those in the back row can see their emotions, leaders must amplify their messages to ensure clarity and retention. This doesn’t mean being dramatic or theatrical, but it does mean emphasizing key points, using strong body language, and repeating core ideas frequently.

2. Repeat, Reinforce, and Reiterate

Great leaders know that repetition is key. Don’t assume that just because you said something once, your team fully grasped it. Say it again. Reinforce the idea through different formats—team meetings, emails, one-on-one discussions, and visual reminders.

If you want your message to be received at a 10, you need to communicate it at a 12 or higher!

3. Use Clear, Simple, and Concise Language

Avoid overcomplicating your message with jargon or lengthy explanations. The simpler and clearer your message, the more likely it will be retained.

An old preacher told his upcoming students, ”If it’s a mist at the pulpit, it’s a fog in the pew.”

If your message is unclear at the leadership level, it will be even more confusing at the team level.

4. Use Stories and Analogies to Make Messages Stick

People remember stories far more than they remember facts. If you want your communication to be memorable, use real-life stories, relatable analogies, and compelling examples to illustrate your points.

Challenge: Evaluate Your Communication Level

Take a moment to reflect on your current communication skills. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate yourself? Now, subtract two points from that number—that’s likely how your team perceives your communication.

If you gave yourself a 7, your team might be receiving your message at a 5 or lower. If you rated yourself at a 6, your team might be at a 4—and that’s not effective enough to inspire, motivate, and drive results.

So the question is: What will you do to level up your communication?

Communicate at the Next Level

Great leaders are great communicators. They understand that effective communication is not about what they say, but about what their team understands and acts upon.

If you want to increase your leadership influence, start by elevating your communication game. Be intentional, be clear, and be relentless in reinforcing your key messages.

When you master communication, you master influence. And when you master influence, you level up as a leader.