Why Leaders Must Own the Message - Not Just Approve It
Effective leadership hinges on owning your message, fostering trust, clarity, and engagement while avoiding the pitfalls of hands-off communication.
If you’re a leader, here’s the hard truth: delegating your communication may cost you trust, productivity, and even your team’s loyalty.
The Key to Powerful Leadership Communication
Value Summary:
Owning your message is not just about delivering words. It’s about crafting them, believing in them, and delivering them with conviction. Studies show that poor communication can cost businesses up to £25,000 per employee annually, while strong communication boosts productivity by 17% and reduces staff turnover by 51%. Employees value clear, honest, and transparent communication - and they can tell when you’re not fully behind your words.
Quick Overview:
Here’s why owning your message matters:
✓ Builds trust and credibility with your team
✓ Creates alignment and drives action
✓ Strengthens your leadership presence
✓ Reduces confusion, miscommunication, and uncertainty
Bridge:
In this article, we’ll explore the difference between owning and simply approving a message, the risks of a hands-off approach, and practical steps to take full ownership of your communication.
Owning vs Approving: What's the Difference
The line between owning and approving a message might seem thin, but it’s the difference between being a leader who inspires and one who merely goes through the motions. Understanding this distinction can profoundly impact how your team receives and responds to your communication. Let’s unpack what it truly means to own your message and why a hands-off approach can backfire.
What It Means to Truly Own the Message
Owning a message isn’t just about delivering it with confidence or sticking to a script. It’s about crafting, understanding, and presenting communication that reflects your personal values and aligns with the organisation’s goals. When you own a message, you’ve taken the time to shape it, make it yours, and deliver it in a way that feels natural because it mirrors what you genuinely believe.
"To balance being transparent while clarifying and owning the message is an art." - Matt Antonucci
Taking ownership means being fully accountable for your words. It allows you to respond to follow-up questions, adapt your message for different audiences, and speak with the kind of sincerity that fosters trust. This isn’t just about confidence - it’s about conviction. When you own your message, you embrace both the successes and the challenges that come with it. You stand behind every word, fully aware of its impact and consequences.
Ownership also means leading by example. Your words and actions must align, reinforcing your vision and intentions. This involves engaging your team in meaningful ways - seeking their input, encouraging collaboration, and welcoming challenges - so that communication becomes a shared effort rather than a top-down directive.
Why Hands-Off Communication Falls Short
While owning a message builds trust and authenticity, a hands-off approach can do the opposite. Delegating your communication or simply approving messages crafted by others creates a disconnect. Your team can sense when you’re not fully behind your words, and that lack of alignment can erode your credibility.
The numbers speak volumes: 91% of employees feel their leaders lack effective communication skills, which directly affects their performance and job satisfaction. Much of this stems from leaders who approve messages without taking the time to truly own them.
Take the example of Carly Fiorina’s restructuring of Hewlett-Packard. Poorly communicated leadership decisions caused two months of disrupted productivity, a loss of focus, and an entire quarter of wasted effort as employees scrambled to adjust. This highlights the risks of failing to control your narrative. If you don’t take charge of your message, others will fill in the gaps, often to your detriment.
When leaders fail to clearly articulate their vision, expectations, and values, it creates an environment of uncertainty. Employees are left to interpret messages on their own, leading to confusion, misaligned priorities, and a lack of direction. Over time, this muddiness trickles down through the organisation, affecting morale and productivity.
Perhaps the most damaging consequence of hands-off communication is the loss of trust. When your team senses that you haven’t internalised the message you’re delivering, they begin to question your sincerity. Once doubt sets in, your ability to influence and lead effectively diminishes.
"When leaders take the time to explain what they mean, both explicitly (by carefully defining their visions, intentions, and directions) and implicitly (through their behaviour), they assert much-needed influence over the vague but powerful notions that otherwise run away with employees' imaginations." - John Hamm
Choosing to own your message isn’t just about your communication style - it’s about the kind of leader you want to be. Are you someone who builds trust and inspires confidence, or someone who lets uncertainty and doubt take root? The answer lies in how you approach your words and actions.
Key Benefits of Taking Ownership of Your Communication
When leaders take full responsibility for their message, rather than merely signing off on it, teams tend to respond more positively, engage more deeply, and perform more effectively. This shift is about much more than delivering polished presentations - it fundamentally changes how teams connect with their leader. Here’s why stepping into this role is so vital.
Building Trust and Credibility
Trust is the backbone of any strong leadership relationship. By owning your message, you show your team that your words align with your values, which builds confidence. When your communication reflects your beliefs, rather than sounding like a pre-written script, it carries far more weight.
The numbers tell a compelling story: 85% of employees believe their leaders are credible, 84% find them respectful, and 83% consider them fair. While these figures are encouraging, fully owning your communication can elevate these perceptions even further.
Take New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern as an example. During times of crisis, she earned widespread trust by delivering messages that were empathetic, transparent, and entirely her own. Her approach ensured every word resonated with her personal commitment and values. As Harold S. Geneen aptly put it:
"Leadership is practised not so much in words as in attitude and in actions."
When your words and actions are in sync, you build what experts call competence-based trust. This is the kind of trust that grows when your team sees you not only understand what you’re saying but also genuinely believe in it. Howard Schultz demonstrated this principle during his tenure at Starbucks by consistently aligning his leadership with the company’s values, ensuring his actions matched his words.
This trust lays the groundwork for team alignment and action.
Creating Alignment and Action
Owning your message elevates communication from simply sharing information to becoming a catalyst for collective action. When you craft and deliver your own message, you provide clarity and motivation that energises your team.
The cost of poor communication is steep. Around 64% of workers lose at least three hours of productivity each week due to ineffective collaboration, and more than half report stress and burnout stemming from communication problems. As Jacqui Canney, Chief People Officer at ServiceNow, explains:
"To make messages stick requires relentless communication. … It's not the job of your employees to get what you are saying. It's your job as the leader to make sure everyone understands."
By taking ownership of your message, you can adapt it on the spot, confidently address follow-up questions, and ensure your team understands not just the “what” but also the “why” behind their tasks. This kind of clarity fosters engagement. According to Gallup, 80% of employees who receive feedback weekly are fully engaged at work. Moreover, employees are 3.6 times more likely to feel motivated to excel when they receive regular feedback.
Kristen Getchell, a business communications professor at Babson College, highlights the importance of this alignment:
"The best leaders are able to help people see the future and make that future concrete. They also help people understand how the team will reach that future, and why each team member's role is so important."
This alignment not only drives action but also strengthens your overall leadership presence.
Strengthening Leadership Presence
Leadership presence is about projecting confidence and authority in a way that inspires others. When you consistently own your messages, you reinforce your image as a thoughtful and deliberate leader who stands firmly behind their words. This builds your personal brand and signals to your team that you are credible, confident, and approachable.
By taking ownership of your communication, you ensure authenticity in every interaction. Speaking from your own perspective, rather than delivering a pre-approved script, creates a genuine connection with your audience. Leadership presence is a blend of learned skills and intentional effort. When you embrace this approach, you open the door to meaningful dialogue, encourage questions, and strike a balance between authority and accessibility - qualities that set exceptional leaders apart.
With these benefits in mind, the next step is learning how to take ownership of your message through four actionable steps.
How to Take Ownership of Your Message: 4 Steps
Taking ownership of your message is about moving beyond simply delivering words to fully embodying them. These four steps will guide you in making your communications resonate with authenticity and leadership.
Prepare and Make the Message Your Own
Owning a message starts with a deep understanding and personalisation of its content. It’s not just about reading a script - it’s about making the message reflect who you are.
Begin by building self-awareness. Recognise your strengths, weaknesses, and values. Seek feedback from colleagues, mentors, or team members to understand how your communication style is perceived. This insight will help you identify areas to refine.
Next, align your message with your core values. When your words reflect what you stand for, they naturally carry more weight. Being consistent with your principles ensures your communication feels genuine, no matter the situation.
Work on your communication skills by practising active listening and delivering clear, consistent messages. The goal is to reach a level where you’re comfortable speaking without notes, answering unexpected questions, and adjusting your delivery based on audience reactions. This preparation transforms you from a speaker into an advocate for your ideas.
Once your message aligns with your values, the next step is to bring it to life through storytelling.
Use Stories to Make Your Point
Stories are one of the most effective tools for making your message stick. They create emotional connections and make ideas more memorable.
To craft impactful stories, use the Challenge-Change-Impact framework. Start by describing the challenge - what problem did you or your organisation face? Then detail the change - what actions were taken to address it? Finally, share the impact - what measurable results were achieved?
Think of how Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone. Instead of listing technical features, he told a story about a device that would transform everyday life. By focusing on how the innovation would simplify routines and change communication, he created excitement and a personal connection with his audience.
Draw from your own experiences to create authentic connections. Use vivid descriptions and clear language to engage your audience, but keep your story focused and avoid unnecessary details.
It’s worth noting that 92% of consumers prefer brands to communicate through stories rather than straightforward sales pitches. This preference applies to internal communication too - your team is more likely to connect with your vision when it’s presented as a narrative rather than a dry list of objectives.
Once your message is enriched with stories, consider the best way to deliver it.
Pick the Right Way to Communicate
Choosing the right medium is crucial for effective communication. The method you use can either enhance or dilute your message.
For sensitive topics, face-to-face conversations are often the most effective. For broader reach with a personal touch, consider video. Written communication works best when you need to provide precise details that can be referred back to later.
Always consider your audience’s preferences. A tech-savvy team might appreciate a polished video, while a more traditional group may value in-person meetings. The key is to match your method to the importance of your message and what your audience expects.
Get Feedback and Keep Improving
Effective communication is an ongoing process that thrives on feedback. Leaders who seek and act on feedback not only improve their skills but also build stronger relationships with their teams. For instance, employees who receive feedback from their managers are nine times more likely to trust them.
Use a variety of feedback methods to gather honest input. Anonymous surveys can provide candid insights, one-on-one meetings allow for deeper discussions, and team meetings offer opportunities for immediate feedback. Regularly incorporating these channels helps you refine your approach.
Consider introducing a “bridge out” code word that your team can use if they’re confused during a discussion. It’s a simple yet effective way to ensure clarity and shows your dedication to open communication.
When you receive feedback, prioritise the most impactful issues and create clear action plans with timelines. Just as importantly, let your team know what changes you’ve made based on their input. Closing the feedback loop demonstrates that their opinions matter and encourages ongoing participation.
Feedback isn’t just about addressing weaknesses - it’s a chance to grow and strengthen your leadership presence. By committing to continuous improvement, you’ll refine your communication skills and build deeper connections with your audience over time.
These steps will not only sharpen your communication but also elevate your leadership, enabling you to leave a lasting impression.
Conclusion: The Impact of Message Ownership
When leaders take full ownership of their message, the results can be game-changing. Trust becomes the cornerstone of every interaction and decision. Jodi Macpherson from Mercer Inc. puts it succinctly:
"Communications is fundamental to building trust. It contributes to the creation of an environment of trust around leaders that enables them to lead effectively, engage employees and ultimately deliver results".
The data backs this up. A 2003 Towers Perrin study found that fewer than half of employees believed company communications about strategy, performance, and competitive challenges were credible. Even more striking, about a quarter considered them outright dishonest. This disconnect often stems from leaders failing to fully embrace and internalise the messages they deliver. If the words don’t feel authentic, they won’t inspire trust or confidence.
When leaders fully commit to their message - showing competence, integrity, and consistency - it creates a powerful ripple effect. Employees are reassured by their leader’s clarity and purpose, fostering engagement. In fact, 89% of executives agree that a shared sense of purpose is a key driver of employee engagement. High-trust environments fuel creativity, speed, and productivity, leading to stronger outcomes.
The connection between authentic communication and leadership effectiveness is undeniable. Employees’ perception of authentic leadership is the strongest predictor of job satisfaction. Additionally, 84% of executives believe that a collective sense of purpose is essential for achieving success in transformational efforts. When leaders communicate with their own voice, rooted in their values, they build the kind of relationships that unite teams around a common goal. Through preparation, storytelling, choosing the right channels, and seeking feedback, leaders can turn trust into action.
"Leaders are people who are followed. People won't follow a leader they don't trust. Trust makes it easier to get alignment." - Diane Bean, Executive Vice-President, Human Resources and Communication, Manulife Financial
FAQs
How can leaders balance being transparent while taking ownership of their message?
Leaders walk a fine line between being transparent and safeguarding sensitive information. Sharing the right details at the right time is key. While honesty is essential for trust, some information requires discretion to protect both individuals and organisations. Striking this balance ensures clarity without compromising confidence.
Owning leadership means speaking with sincerity and ensuring words align with values and actions. Clear, empathetic, and consistent communication strengthens trust and builds stronger relationships. Achieving this balance demands self-awareness and tailoring messages to fit the situation and the needs of those involved.
What practical steps can leaders take to fully embrace and deliver their message effectively?
Leaders who want to connect meaningfully with their audience should prioritise aligning their words with their actions. This kind of alignment fosters trust and reinforces credibility. Equally important is taking the time to prepare thoroughly. Preparation involves understanding who you're speaking to, identifying the key points you want to emphasise, and weaving in relatable stories or visuals to make your message stick.
Another important aspect is consistency. When leaders deliver a unified message across different platforms and interactions, it signals commitment and clarity. Additionally, inviting and acting on feedback shows not only a willingness to improve but also a genuine respect for engagement. By combining these practices, leaders can create stronger, more authentic connections through their communication.
Why is storytelling important for leaders, and how does it improve team engagement?
Storytelling holds a special place in leadership, offering a way to connect with teams on a deeper, emotional level. It transforms messages into something relatable and memorable, bridging gaps that facts and figures alone often can't. Through stories, leaders can break down complex ideas, spark motivation, and create a shared sense of purpose. This approach doesn’t just build trust; it also strengthens team bonds and loyalty.
When done well, storytelling grabs attention and makes messages resonate, encouraging teams to engage and take action. It creates a sense of alignment, where everyone feels inspired and understood, working together towards shared objectives. A compelling story can bring abstract goals to life, turning them into clear, energising narratives that lead to real-world outcomes.