Lexington, KY - When asked the most important aspect of leadership, the late author John Gardner is quoted as immediately responding, "Communication. Communication between leaders and constituents is at the heart of everything."
Ron Crossland has taken that advice to heart in his recent book, The Leader's Voice: How Your Communication Can Inspire Action and Get Results! This second edition of this book is timely coming as leaders at all levels are struggling to communicate through the hurricane force change that is confronting them.
The first edition was co-authored with Crossland's business partner, Boyd Craig, who passed away in 2005. Crossland gives much credit to his associate and their joint research of over 20 years; still it is the author's unique voice that gives this book its urgency on understanding the importance of a leader's ability to communicate today.
The book is heavy with research and example as the author makes his case for the need to improve the impact of the leader's communication. Crossland's research indicated that while 86 percent of executives felt they were effective communicators, only 17 percent of their constituents believed their managers were effective. He also quotes a study showing that only one-third of 472 companies surveyed were "successful in motivating employees to understand, be committed to, and carry out their employer's business strategy in their daily jobs."
There are three chronic problems that have created a communication wasteland between business leaders and their constituents: