I have been teaching and coaching communication skills for over twenty years. Recently, I came to the conclusion that techniques alone may not be sufficient to succeed as a communicator. Ask yourself the question, “What truly differentiates extraordinary communicators? The answer for me came down to several personal qualities. I know that you have seen the reverse of this is action. The speaker may be an executive in your company or institution. He or she looks like they have been sent from central casting. They have all the moves, are masters of technique, but they couldn’t lead your kid’s little league team.

OK Mark, so what does it take to succeed as a communicator and how does this impact my personal career and success? First of all, the extraordinary communicator has courage. Do you remember Jim Croce’s song Don’t Mess Around With Jim? The line, “Don’t Tug on Superman’s Cape” comes to me often when I work with leaders who have difficulty taking risks and exercising courage. My advice to these individuals is that “people need to know that when you tug on superman’s cape there will be a price to pay”. These leaders are so concerned with being liked that they end up being ineffective. There are times in all of our lives when we need to dig down deep into our reservoir of courage and draw a line in the sand.

Are you familiar with the movie, The American President, staring Michael Douglas? Douglas plays President Andrew Shepard. His character is attacked verbally and in the press by Senator Bob Rumsen, played by Richard Dreyfus. Rumsen, in particular goes to the dark side by criticizing Shepard’s girlfriend, Sidney Ellen Wade, who is played by Annette Benning, and her relationship with Shepard. Shepard takes this vilification for months and keeps turning the other cheek. Finally, he has had enough and takes on Rumsen in a press conference. This speech is one of the best ever delivered in a movie and you owe it to yourself to see it. In part he states “You want a character debate Bob, you better stick with me because Sidney Ellen Wade is way out of your league.” He goes on to say “This is a time for serious business Bob and your 15 minutes of fame are up.”

Like the Michael Douglas character, when the time comes for you to show courage, techniques alone will not be enough. Sure, you will need to have thought through your approach and the consequences, but this will be more about your character than anything else. There are many situations where as leaders we need to dig down deep and be courageous. Here are a few examples:

• When recommending a controversial idea

• When people who work for you are being unfairly criticized or attacked

• When safety procedures are not being followed and could endanger employees, patients or customers

• When code of conduct violations take place

• When performance of direct reports is not at an acceptable level

In future issues of this newsletter, I will address additional qualities of extraordinary communicators. However, is there a situation, right now, that requires you to be courageous and take action? By all means be thorough in your preparation. Check with the experts such as HR and legal, but then execute. Being an extraordinary communicator is not easy and requires character more than techniques.

Related Article:
"The One Secret of Extraordinary Communicators You Need to Know" - Newsletter Archive

Recommended Speech by Mark Campbell:
"Leading Through Speaking"

Recommended Publication:
Managing Your Career During Difficult Economic Times,
A collection of articles by Mark Campbell