Mastering Communication for Leadership Impact

In this episode: 

Effective communication is both an art and a science—a fundamental skill that drives success in business, leadership, and life. In this episode, Bryan Benjamin sits down with Dr. Kanina Blanchard, Assistant Professor in Management Communications and General Management at Ivey Business School, to explore what sets great communicators apart, emphasizing that authenticity and genuine connection are the cornerstones of impactful leadership communication.

Kanina unpacks the science behind effective messaging, from decoding your audience’s needs and crafting persuasive narratives to overcoming common communication challenges and refining your delivery for maximum impact. The conversation also examines the evolution of 'leadership presence', moving beyond traditional 'executive presence' to a more inclusive, authentic approach with practical tips that enable leaders to connect, engage, and inspire with confidence.

Listeners will walk away with actionable strategies they can implement to strengthen their communication, build deeper connections, and navigate teams through high-pressure situations with clear messaging. If you’re striving to connect better with others, this episode offers valuable lessons to help you communicate more effectively.

Host: Bryan Benjamin, Executive Director of The Ivey Academy
Guest: Dr. Kanina Blanchard, Assistant Professor, Management Communications & General Management

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What is Learning in Action?

Hosted by the Ivey Academy at Ivey Business School, Learning in Action explores current topics in leadership and organizations. In this podcasting series, we invite our world-class faculty and a variety of industry experts to deliver insights from the latest research in leadership, examine areas of disruption and growth, and discuss how leaders can shape their organizations for success. To learn more about the Ivey Academy and the services we offer, visit us at IveyAcademy.com.

The Ivey Leadership Certificate Podcast Mini-Series

Learning In Action presents a special six-part series: the Ivey Leadership Certificate Podcast—designed to equip emerging leaders with strategic insights, practical frameworks, and the mindset to thrive at the executive level. In each episode of this mini-series, Bryan Benjamin sits in conversation with a professor from Ivey Executive Education to discuss timely challenges affecting leaders today.

Episode Transcript

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BRYAN BENJAMIN: Welcome to another episode on leadership, resilience, and agility. I'm your host, Bryan Benjamin. Today, we'll be focusing on one of the most vital aspects of leadership-- pressure and communication. Our guest is Dr. Kanina Blanchard, a leadership expert and educator at Ivey Business School. In today's fast-paced and complex world, leaders must communicate effectively to inspire their teams, align stakeholders, and drive their vision forward with confidence and authenticity.

Kanina will be sharing insights on how leaders can master the art of clear, impactful communication while building credibility through their presence. Let's jump into our conversation. So we're going to get right into it because we've got a big meaty topic and I know you've got a lot to share on this. So mastering communication for leadership impact. So communication is often described as one of the most important skills for leaders. In your experience, what makes communication such a critical aspect of leadership?

KANINA BLANCHARD: I love the question, and obviously I'm passionate about the topic. Let's start with some well-known words from a leadership scholar, Mr. Maxwell, who said that we all communicate, but few of us connect, and I think that's the best place to start this conversation. The reality is, as human beings, most of us communicate in multiple different ways-- through our voices, through our expressions, our gestures, our body language, our paralinguistic. So our tone of voice. So the fact that we communicate is fundamental to being human.

But in the world of business, it's not just about communication. It's about the need to be able to connect. And business is still very much about relationships. And so it is through our communication that we build those relationships, that we build trust, that we build followership, that we can inspire people to innovate, to push, to be creative, to reach targets, but also to become the very best human beings and also employees and partners that they can be. So communication is about connection when it comes to business, and that's why it's so absolutely critical.

BRYAN BENJAMIN: So when we talk about connection, and I'll pull out the word human, and obviously connection is central to building authentic connections with others. What are some of the techniques leaders can use to communicate with persuasion and to engage their audiences?

KANINA BLANCHARD: So what I'd love to say is that communication is both an art and a science. And so connection is also something that we need to understand it doesn't just happen. People often ask, are people just born great communicators? Well, we're all wired differently, but it is through our experience and through practice and through learning that we really master the art and science that we're talking about here. So let me break that down.

So part of connecting as a human being is understand that we share this amazing human brain. And all of our brains are a little bit different, but fundamentally, we're not that different than we were 30,000 years ago. And certain things define the fact that we can connect with one another when we understand that most human beings connect, when they know that someone cares. And we show caring by listening, we show caring by asking questions, by showing the fact that we want to know and understand the person or the persons with whom we are speaking.

So connection starts with listening. It starts by caring, by communicating, not by talking, but by asking questions and exploring one another's stories. So that's one of the most important things we can do to connect is to show that we care. And there's so many brilliant leaders, from Maya Angelou to Teddy Roosevelt who talked about people don't care what you know until they know you care. And so that would be the first place I'd start with this conversation.

BRYAN BENJAMIN: I appreciate that there's so many different styles and so many different approaches, that connection and that curiosity that I could hear through your comments. What are some of the common challenges that you've heard in your experience? So someone is trying to connect, they're trying to communicate, they're trying to persuade, are there any common challenges that you hear in conversations with leaders?

KANINA BLANCHARD: Absolutely. The fact that sometimes people feel like they are doing a good job in communicating because they know what they're trying to say, but they're shocked when they realize that people didn't hear what they were trying to say, or didn't interpret the communication in the way that they expected the other to do. And that is all about understanding there is noise in communication.

As an individual, we encode the information and we send it through channels. And that can be verbal, it can be through email, it can be through a podcast, but it's the other person that's decoding that information. And how they decode and how we encode is based on so many things. So from our style to our culture to our language, when I am trying to share a message with you, I am coming at that communication based on who I am, but I forget that you're not me, and that's probably a good thing.

So let's go back to why caring is so important. Being able to connect is to understand oneself, but it is to care to understand the other person. So what do I know about my audience? How do they present themselves in terms of how they like to hear information? Perhaps it's culture, perhaps it's the speed of the way I'm speaking or what I'm communicating. So if we start with caring, we also understand that means caring about the other person and being thoughtful about how we encode.

And once I have shared my message, especially if it's complex information, to stop and say, Bryan, how are you interpreting what I'm saying? How is this coming across? So understanding that science of encoding and decoding is somewhere that we can start and also stop and say, did that come across right? And if it didn't, not to take it personally, but to realize what's most important to inspire people is to have them feel like you're bringing them along and you care enough to make sure the communication has made sense.

BRYAN BENJAMIN: Your comment around caring, and often hear this dichotomy between intent and perception. So I was intending to get a certain message across, but clearly it didn't come across the way that I was intending. And if I'm caring enough to-- tell me how did that land? What worked? What didn't work? I think that we can continue to refine and hopefully get better all the time.

KANINA BLANCHARD: If I could. I mean, I think one of the things that happens is that we often see that our communication didn't land. We can see it in body language, we can hear it in people's tones of voice, and in the online world, this is even more important because we're not physically in proximity and we're trying to interpret through a video link, and sometimes we're not even on camera. And so I'd really encourage that for those of us that spend a lot of time online communicating, not to forget that importance of looking and taking a pause and checking in. It can make a big difference in terms of team success, team alignment, and also inspiring people to recognize that they matter to you.

BRYAN BENJAMIN: Very good and so true. We're moving fast, we're often moving virtually, so those connection moments really matter.

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Something that I hear quite frequently in my conversations with leaders at all levels is leadership and executive presence. And I think there are different interpretations maybe of what that means, but I'd love your kind of how do you define leadership presence and what are some of the components that contribute to someone having a strong leadership presence?

KANINA BLANCHARD: Absolutely. I'd love to stop using the word executive presence, to be honest with you, because what's happened is that that word, executive presence, has come to take on a life and be seen and defined by traits that often, well, to be honest, probably 90% of the population can't meet. When you ask people, what do you see, and what do you imagine when you say executive presence?

What people refer to is a tall, 6 foot white male. Most of us aren't 6 foot, many of us don't identify as male, and so if we if we start to imagine that presence begins with those two factors, it actually creates a sense of, well, then I can't have presence, and that is not true. Let's break down what the research says constitutes really presence. And it starts with this idea that we engage with gravitas.

And there's a word that needs some definition, but gravitas, we can think about the wonderful seas. We're calm, we're composed, we're consistent, we're caring, we're curious. There's a lot of factors that go into this idea of gravitas, that under pressure we can listen, we can process, and then we can engage with others and help them move along that journey, as opposed to creating the negative, which is chaos. So that's a sea we don't want in gravitas.

So there is this sense of composure in how we engage. That doesn't mean that we can't have energy and positivity, but that we can really bring that sense of being able to bring other people along in a positive and constructive way. Second, communication. That we understand that it is through our communication, our actions, our behaviors, our choices, and our decisions that who we are and what we are comes to life. So communication skills are something that we really need to focus on a lot.

So you mentioned earlier, for example, the ability to persuade. So critical in persuasion in communication is understanding the audience, whether to start to engage with them, because perhaps they're more analytical that we start with data. If they're more expressive people, to realize that, we need to take the time to engage, perhaps in a bit of small talk and focus on emotion. If we're dealing with people who are very much drivers, that we need to be even more concise and clear, and storytelling as a critical part of our communication skills.

The human brain is wired to learn from story. If we want to connect with people, it is to be able to help them learn or understand, or motivate them by sharing through our empathy real experiences that can help them make meaning from situations we're in. And then finally, in terms of presence, it's the word appearance which can feel uncomfortable. But if we understand appearance as demeanor, that who we are showing up as in any given moment, is what the audience is needing and looking for.

So sometimes it's about clothing. But we know that if we work at Google, appearance means something different than if we work at IBM, for example, but that it fits. I often say to participants in my programs, when they're really nice to me, I'm like, OK, you're saying that I'm credible? What if I showed up the way I'm dressed right now with a hoodie, a ball cap and a sweatshirt and my hair in a ponytail? It doesn't change who I am, but in our roles as leaders, there is some expectation that we are appropriately dressed, that we are appropriately composed.

So if we look at those things, and then I want to add the most important word of all, and that's authenticity. I would hope that the people who interact with me and with you, Bryan, especially when we're in events together, there is a sense that people believe that we have presence. But I'm 5 foot 2, and we are different people, so we have different presence. My composure is different than yours, but we both can extend presence to our audiences because they matter to us, but we do it in our own way.

BRYAN BENJAMIN: There's so many pieces that I can pull out, and I'm going to start with bye, bye executive presence. I think that is so critical. And I like that broader evolution to leadership presence, because I think it's more inclusive. It goes across the whole organization because we very much believe here in our work with leaders that leadership exists throughout the entire organization. It's not just a title or a role per se. And that authenticity, and how do you create it?

Let's jump to-- so there's scenarios where I'm engaging with my team, whether it's small, whether it's a larger community, and it's just in the normal course of business. Then there's scenarios where something is going on, maybe it's full fledged crisis, maybe things have heated up, but there's some urgency going on. And how do I, as a leader, communicate appropriately when there is a sense of urgency, and maybe I need to act quickly, or maybe I need to even create a sense of urgency so others will act accordingly, while still not inciting panic, if you will? So how do you stay calm and create urgency at the same time? Because they almost feel like they pull me in opposite directions?

KANINA BLANCHARD: Let's start with the fact that communication is a strategic endeavor. We move away from communication is just what we do to get things done. Communication is a strategic endeavor, which means that when we are leading, when we are engaging as business professionals, we have a purpose when we communicate. We not only have a purpose, but we need to remember that most communication has objectives around it and that there are outcomes that we're hoping to have.

With that as a platform, in any moment we go into a communication, and if we take a breath and say, what is my purpose of this communication? What is it that I'm hoping to get out of it, and what do I hope my audience will do in a moment? It's as complex as throwing a ball. It feels like there's a lot there, but when we throw a ball, it becomes muscle memory. So if we can stop, especially in times that matter, and so say there is a crisis and we need to get people moving from-- what most people are already doing today is working at a fairly high productive pace, because that's the world we live in, to say, we really need to have a bias for action.

So what's the purpose? The purpose is to get them to focus. So how do we get people to focus? Well, the objective is we need to create an understanding that there is a new priority, and that that priority is going to require some different behaviors. And the outcome is we want as a team for us to get through this moment of tension, not just deliver results, but we maintain our collegiality, our collaboration, and maybe we even strengthen our teamwork.

And I would say that I've had the privilege of working in a lot of crisis situations, and the ones that I hold so dear, and some of my fondest memories have been really working in intense situations. And the outcome mattered, but it's also that sense that when we walked away, we were closer as a group. So if we can go into those moments with those basics in mind, not only do I believe that we can deliver the very best result, but we can be better as individuals and as teams. And by the way, if we don't quite hit the mark, it's how we as leaders reframe that sense of failure into learning, because that's how our teams get better.

BRYAN BENJAMIN: I hear you. That shared experience, even if it was really difficult at the time, you look back and it's like, wow, we bonded, we're stronger. And that last nugget around it won't always work, it won't always go as planned, but what do we learn from it? And I tie back to your authenticity earlier, and leaders who show that they are curious, they are seeking feedback, and they are learning. What are your parting thoughts in terms of something that leaders can focus on that will absolutely improve their communications and leadership presence?

KANINA BLANCHARD: It would be to stop thinking about what you want to say, and start your communication with what you hope your audience will do as a result of what you say, whether it's a presentation, whether it's a podcast, whether it's a performance discussion. When we start with what we want to say, we actually forget the most important thing, and that is what we hope people will do as a result. And our brains and our bodies, every part of us will align behind that purpose. What do I hope you'll do as a result of this conversation?

BRYAN BENJAMIN: Thank you Kanina for sharing your insights on leadership, presence, and communication. These skills are truly at the heart of effective leadership, and I know our listeners are going to take away many valuable strategies that will enhance their own communication practices as well as their leadership. Deliberate focus on the word leadership presence.

If you'd like to learn more, Kanina's module on leadership, presence, and communication is part of our Ivey Leadership Certificate. This program, designed to help leaders build the skills needed to communicate with impact, lead with confidence, and inspire others. So join us next time, where we'll be talking with Dr. Shane Wang about leading innovation and creativity in a digital market. Thank you for listening and hope to see you next time.

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About the Ivey Academy at Ivey Business School

The Ivey Academy at Ivey Business School is Canada’s top-ranked provider of Management Training and Development, blending university-based executive education with leadership coaching, strategic facilitation, and instructional design.

Based in Ivey Business School’s real-world leadership approach, The Ivey Academy is a place where professionals come to get better, break old habits and establish new ones, obtain coaching and support, and join a powerful peer network. Follow the Ivey Academy on LinkedIn.