The People Leader Imperative: Unlocking results through communications

December 20, 2023

In an era where the pace of change is rapid and relentless, the need for effective team communications is critical. People leaders will be the primary point of contact, and will need to be prepared and equipped to effectively engage and guide their teams forward.

In this episode, we dive into the art of team communications with Lisa Durante, Chief Content Strategist at Jack Communications. She shares how people leaders can build personal connections with their teams to engage in two-way, productive conversations.

In our conversation, Lisa shares the following insights:

  • People leaders are the conduit of company messages, contextualizing information for their teams.
    “The vision, the plan, the context of what is changing really does need to come from the top of the house, but the people leaders need to translating that for the employees. Oftentimes that’s missed. So, it’s providing people leaders with the information and time to consumer and digest it, as well as providing them the skills to be able to communicate it in a way that will resonate with their team.
  • The art of conversation is the foundation for effective communications for people leaders
    “We’re actually losing the art of the conversation. We text, email. We spend time on Zoom or Teams – it’s a lot of one-way of conversing. And then we’re not in the office, so we’re not having those hallway interactions. We’re losing that art of the conversation – that ability to look someone in the eye, translate their body language or read the energy in a room – all of that is really important and necessary for communicating effectively.”
  • Connection fosters more open and receptive communication environments
    “It’s the humanness of each of us, that we are more receptive and more willing to listen… Leaders that spend time connecting before sharing messages, especially if there’s going to be any hard message coming down, so being prepared and having that connection is the strong foundation that you can depend on no matter which way the business or environment requires you to go.”
  • Leaders should use any and all available communications methods to connect with their people
    “I really think more leaders need to be active externally. This isn’t to share company information externally. It’s another way where your team is seeing you, where they can engage with you, where they can see what you’re thinking about or talking about. It will give another dimension of them to connect with you.”

Connect with Lisa on LinkedIn. Learn how Lisa can help you communicate internally and externally.

Meet Lisa Durante

Lisa Durante is a storyteller obsessed with telling authentically human stories that help businesses and leaders build authentic connections with their people. Her 20+ year career started in journalism and has evolved with the ever-changing field of marketing and communications, spanning executive and internal communications, content marketing, thought leadership and social media marketing. She has successfully supported organizations from start-ups to F500 global companies, including KPMG, CPP Investments, Siemens and MetLife, better connect with their audiences and more successfully achieve their business objectives. Visit Jack Communications for more information.

About TILTCO

TILTCO is a boutique consulting company that helps leaders define and execute their strategies in order to achieve extraordinary business and personal results. Founded by Tineke Keesmaat, she brings her more than 20 years of leadership consulting experience rooted at McKinsey & Company and Accenture to supports today’s leaders achieve exceptional results.