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Myles Martel
President
Martel & Associates

The Leader as Communicator: Passing the ‘Adversity Test’

Napoleon said it: “A leader is a dealer in hope.” At no time has the opportunity to communicate persuasively and inspirationally been more important.

By Myles Martel

The current recession, especially the examples of positive and negative leadership it has spawned, brings added credence to the maxim that “adversity is the truest test of leadership” — challenging the leader's character, mettle, and competence.

To pass the “adversity test,” senior executives must, at a minimum, buttress key stakeholder confidence in their leadership. Smart business decisions per se may earn leaders a passing grade; smart decisions complemented by smart communication are imperative for a higher grade.

To earn that higher grade through smart communication, leaders must recognize that stakeholders, in placing confidence in their leaders, expect a better future — and nothing less. As Napoleon so aptly stated, "A leader is a dealer in hope." The main vehicle for instilling hope is credible, persuasive, motivating, and inspiring communication.

Silence Is Not Golden
Leaders must be well attuned to the axiom “a leader cannot not communicate.” Adversity and the fear it spawns create ripe opportunities for dissenting voices to exploit silence. Leaders have to heed these dangers and prevent communication voids created by silence. Their strategy: preemptively and persuasively neutralize potentially influential dissent with credibly optimistic messages.

At a minimum, these messages should persuade stakeholders that the best steps are being taken with the requisite resources and urgency to address the challenges at hand. Therefore, the leader should seize as soon as possible the opportunity to deliver such a message, even if specific promises cannot be made or implied or details regarding execution are not yet resolved.

Negativity is Corrosive
A fear-filled climate is ripe for negativity. Leaders need to be extra cautious of their own behavior. In difficult times like these, employees and other stakeholders pay extra close attention to any cue, however subtle, which ostensibly reflects the leader's mood and intent — and are prone to broadcast their impressions to any interested party, often seeking ego-gratification and special status for being in the know.

Some leaders attack negativity head on, assailing its potential impact on productivity and survival, by referring to the recession as the common enemy and, as a result, summon the competitive spirit of their people to defeat it rather than be defeated by it. Naturally, the fate of such entreaties hinges on the strength of their credibility, including their case for hope.

As "stewards of the spirit of their stakeholders," leaders should actively monitor morale, including the resonance of their case for hope, and rely on their senior team to provide timely feedback and to reinforce their messages.

Listening Well Is Golden
The leader's ability to listen well during difficult times can enhance credibility and help reinforce the case for hope. Listening well involves numerous behaviors, mainly not interrupting others and not being too argumentative or defensive. Listening well can be especially impressive in forums where the formats are designed to facilitate a two-way exchange and, as a result, encourage listening over presenting. Properly handled, such forums provide the leader with numerous potential advantages:

• Project the leader’s respect for the stakeholders through his willingness — even courage — to be visible and face tough questions.

• Provide an outlet for stakeholder issues to be aired and possibly resolved.

• Offer the leader a less-filtered lens to enlighten his perspective.

• Help cultivate a climate of enhanced receptiveness for his message.

Further, leaders can generate added goodwill if they appear to be generous with the time allotted, especially when measured against the pressures they are facing.

The Need Is Great
In the 30- plus years I have been advising leaders, I have witnessed their increased appreciation for the value communication brings to their credibility, influence, and legacies. At no time has their opportunity to communicate influentially — even inspirationally — been more important.

For at no time have stakeholders been in greater need for their leaders’ voices to rise above silence and discord and offer credible hope to assuage their fears, to motivate them, and, ultimately, to earn a high grade on the “adversity test.”

Myles Martel, Ph.D., is president and founder of Martel & Associates, a firm specializing in leadership development and personal image enhancement through high-impact communications.

He came to prominence in 1980 as Ronald Reagan’s personal debate adviser, and then served as a counselor to the White House Office of Communications. Throughout his career, he has advised Congressman, ambassadors, governors, and Presidential Cabinet members, as well as scores of business leaders.

He has published six books, including “Before You Say a Word” (Prentice Hall), “The Persuasive Edge: The Executive's Guide to Speaking and Presenting” (Random House/Ballantine), “Fire Away! Fielding Tough Questions with Finesse” (Irwin). He is a frequent guest on network television and radio talk shows and is often quoted in such publications as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and U.S. News and World Report.

The author can be contacted at mmartel@aol.com.