For Successful Managers, Leadership and Communication Are Interchangeable

Why it matters: Jumping in with changes without understanding the team can come off as tone-deaf or arrogant.

How to do it:

• Schedule 1-on-1s to get to know each team member personally and professionally.
• Ask questions like: “What’s working well?” “What do you wish we did differently?”

Why it matters: Teams trust managers who are open and honest, especially in uncertain or changing situations.

How to do it:

• Share what you know — and admit what you don’t.
• Set clear expectations and explain your decisions when possible.

Why it matters: Reliability builds credibility. Even small broken promises can erode trust.

How to do it:

• If you commit to something, do it. If you can’t, explain why. Don’t reschedule individual or team meetings unless absolutely necessary.
• Be careful about overpromising when trying to gain favor early on. One broken promise, however small or well-intentioned, will damage your credibility.

Why it matters: Favoritism or inconsistency leads to resentment and distrust.

How to do it:

• Hold everyone to the same standards.
• Apply rules and expectations uniformly, and don’t play favourites.

Why it matters: Trust grows when people know you have their back.

How to do it:

• Recognize their contributions publicly at team meetings and through internal communication vehicles.
• Defend the team’s time, resources, and priorities in upper-level meetings while showcasing their achievements to owners and senior management.

Why it matters: A team that feels heard is more likely to trust.

How to do it:

• Ask for feedback on your leadership and communication style regularly.
• Show that you take it seriously by making changes when appropriate.

Why it matters: Leaders who admit errors model accountability and humility.

How to do it:

• When you get something wrong, say so without defensiveness. You are human and your team needs to see this. Some of the most focused and goal driven managers I have seen were hated by their team members for their opportunistic approach, lack of empathy and hard-heartedness. In each case, their careers ended suddenly when they took the quest for productivity too far.
• As a new manager working with people I had come to know well, it was important to remember the bonds we shared, and not pretend the world had changed and that we were starting again, almost as strangers. In the face of global uncertainty and increasing competition, team members remain people.