Leadership communication

Leadership communication is the theme of the CERC Dialogue between Luca Quaratino, Università IULM, and Lucia Italia, Brembo.

A dual perspective, academic and professional, on a crucial area for internal communications.

The opinion of Luca Quaratino, Assistant Professor of Organization Theory and HRM, Università IULM

In 1938, The Functions of the Executive was published, one of the foundational texts of organizational and management theory. In this text, Chester Barnard identified three essential ingredients for an organization to emerge and thrive according to criteria of effectiveness and efficiency: communication, a willingness to cooperate, and a common purpose. The idea is that the crucial responsibility of every manager is to oversee these three functions, with particular attention to communication, which is arguably the most strategic of the three in organizational action.

Nearly a century later, and considering the profound transformations in competitive environments, technologies, and ways people participate in the workplace, the ideas of Barnard remain compellingly relevant. Faced with increasingly uncertain, variable, and unpredictable environments, organizations are urged to engage in continuous adaptation processes, designing and implementing increasingly frequent changes in business strategy, organizational processes, and people skills. If today continuous change becomes the primary focus of organizations, then it is essential to focus on the role that company leadership can play in communications, understood as a lever that supports this broader process.

In this regard, three crucial aspects emerge. First, the ability to consistently and thoroughly listen to the more or less formal signals coming from the bottom to the top of the corporate hierarchy, as the direction of potential change is first recognized in the operational processes or on the front line: a top management that knows how to listen. Second, the commitment to working on the sensemaking process while facing emerging uncertainties, an essential action for offering people a plausible interpretation and effectively guiding their daily actions: a top management that sets the direction. Third, authenticity and transparency, essential elements for building a capital of relational trust that must be put into play whenever people are asked to explore uncharted paths: a top management that can be trusted.

For these reasons, communication from company leadership and those who support it in this process is increasingly required to be consistent, transparent, relevant to people, and continuous over time.

The opinion of Lucia Italia, Internal Communications Manager, Brembo

Leadership communication, understood as internal communication in support of management, represents an important asset for enhancing organizational culture and thus for corporate success, as it conveys meaning, engages employees, and projects an image externally.

But what do we mean by organizational culture? The most well-established definition is that of E. Schein, who speaks of a set of assumptions that a given group has invented, discovered, or developed while learning to deal with problems related to its external or internal adaptation, and which have worked so well that they are considered valid and therefore worthy of being taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think, and feel about these problems.

We are therefore referring to the values, norms, and behaviors that are shared within a company and that shape the way it acts and interacts internally and externally. The organizational culture is the DNA of a company, which makes it unique and recognizable.

However, it is important for a company to avoid the risk of withdrawing into itself. J. Turner reminds this, discussing the ambivalence of organizational culture, which, on the one hand, fosters the cohesion of a working group, but on the other hand, can lead to a company failing to recognize external obstacles and opportunities.

Therefore, the leadership of an organization can ensure the balance between stability and mobility, as the custodian of the organizational DNA and an active interpreter of change. This is why leadership communication is crucial for enhancing organizational culture. Through leadership communication, a company culture can move from the invisible to the visible, through the creation of appropriate contexts, channels, and flows.

"Tradition is to preserve the fire, not to worship the ashes", said Gustav Mahler. Herein lies the challenge of leadership communication: striking a balance between disseminating the company values and agility in continuous listening. This challenge is even more significant today towards the new generations, who desire a sense of purpose, recognition of individual contributions, and a focus on two-way communication.

Therefore, when carefully managed, leadership communication represents a powerful multiplier of organizational culture, allowing to inform but also inspire, motivate, and guide.