Essay: Effective communication and effective leadership are closely intertwined

For any leader, communication is key, not just something they do on a daily basis.  Communication is important for executing strategy, however, it is also frequently one of the most challenging skills for a leader as it is so easy to do yet not easy execute.  Whether a leader is writing or speaking, both require a vast vocabulary and the message they are conveying must meet the vision of the organization’s values and mission.
What makes an effective leader prevail is their use of communication.  For a global leader, it is how they communicate with those they do not see in person regularly.  From the use of technology to the original concept of the telephone, bridging distance to succeed is their upmost importance.
Keywords:  Global, leaders, communication, skills
Personal Analysis
In order for organizations to operate globally, they must have leaders who can effectively and efficiently communicate with their teams.  As any leader knows, it is important to establish their role with their team members early on in order to lead a team effectively.  Some of the most effect leaders build their relationships of loyalty and trust with their employees instead of instilling fear or using their title as a sense of power over them.
One difference a global leader has over a leader who only has a domestic team is the degree of emotional connection they have with their subordinates.  Having a team in one place has less of a social distance is limited, regardless of their backgrounds and cultures. In addition, building trust is easier when leaders can see their team on a regular basis and receive social queues from one another.  Leaders who have subordinates that are geographically distant may have the disadvantages of those domestically, however, they are able to bridge these gaps with open lines of communication and creating a relationship of trust with frequent one-on-ones, team meetings and virtual teambuilding task.
One of the greatest advantages technology has given to organizations is the advancement of communication.  With programs such as WebEx, Skype, and telepresence conferencing, leaders have the opportunity to communicate with employees from anywhere around the world.  The ‘office’ is no longer everyone sitting within the same four walls.  People are able to telecommute, or even live in a different country yet still be as productive and efficient as if they were in the same place as their manager.  Leaders should ensure they are choosing the best technology that will create a productive environment, rather than the latest fad of technology that will create loss connections and time wasted trying to get the connection to work.  Effective leaders will be ok with less bells and whistles for a successful meeting.
Having a global team has become more of the norm for organizations. Effective communication skills are an important aspect of any leader’s portfolio of skills and experience (Anthony, 2018).  As it is important for leaders to assess their team and how best to communicate with each other in order to have a strong foundation and still be able to collaborate, reach goals and succeed.   Though face-to-face communication has advantages for communication, it is imperative that leaders building relationships and instilling trust in order to have a solid foundation for effective teamwork.  When the opportunity allows, global leaders should focus on teambuilding, planning for the upcoming months, and allow the team time to work together and get to know each other personally when together in person as this time will bring the team closer together.  It is a time to create a shared vision and establish a set of guiding principles for how the team will work, as well as how the team can improve.
When communicating over time zones, the communication is less frequent due to not being able to stop in one another’s office or just dialing their extension.  What is lost through global teams is the ability to see body language and information about emotional states such as engagement or lack thereof.   It is important that leaders avoid drawbacks and be exceptionally clear and disciplined about how the team will communicate with one another.  Creating an understanding that establishes the norms of behavior when participating in virtual meetings, such as eliminating any background noise, ensuring that everyone talks clearly and speaks at a reasonable speed, and actively listen to one another instead of dominating the conversation, will create a structure on how communication will work.
Conclusion
Effective communication and effective leadership are closely intertwined. Leaders need to be skilled communicators in countless relationships at the organizational level, in communities and groups, and sometimes on a global scale (Why Communication, n.d.).  Global leaders have to work more efficiently and more creatively to create a relationship that instills trust and open lines of communication with their team.  Leaders should always do their due-diligence when having a global team because the structures and processes used to manage communication and coordinate task that have such an inordinate impact on the performance of their team.