The Importance of Relational Leadership
Paul was a seasoned school leader. His distinguished career led him to serve in various school communities where he was known for his capable leadership. Paul was an excellent writer. In each of his schools, he helped improve the lines of written communication. From policy hand books, to effective promotional materials as well as weekly newsletters, his communication style was clear, concise and to the point. It was delivered in a consistent and timely manner. New handbooks were delivered on time every year and weekly newsletters were sent out like clock work at 3:00 PM every Wednesday afternoon.
During this past year, with the rise of the COVID 19 pandemic, Paul began hearing complaints as new policies and procedures were communicated. With a flood of data and information coming from community health and educational organizations, Paul tried his best to keep up with it all and to keep his community informed. He became increasingly defensive when he kept hearing phrases like “we don’t know what’s going on” and “you don’t seem to care” coming from folks in the school community.
Paul knew he needed to change something but he struggled to find what it was and how he needed to move forward. With the growing climate of uncertainty, and ambiguity, Paul had to learn some new ways of doing things. The old ways of communicating weren’t working. Paul was good at communication that was informational. What he struggled with was communication that was relational. He missed the importance of this half of the formula for effective leadership.
Michael Barger, Professor at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan reminds us that in a time of crisis, people look to leaders for tangible leadership. “People don’t expect leaders to be perfect,” says Barger. “They do expect leaders to be visible, courageous and committed to the best path forward” (from High Stakes Leadership: Leading in Times of Crisis, Mar. 26, 2020).
Based on his research and experiences with communication during challenging situations, Barger identifies several essential characteristics of leaders who communicate effectively. Leaders, he says, need to be visible. They need to be present with their constituents in authentic ways. Paul spent much of his time in his office, writing, emailing and conducting meetings. He failed to remember the importance of being visible; in car lines, at the front door, in the hallways and playgrounds of his school.
Effective leaders know how to communicate care and empathy, according to Barger. Demonstrating that you care about the lives of the people connected with your organization and that you feel their pain and discomfort in times of crisis are essential elements of effective leadership, says Barger. Showing care and demonstrating empathy didn’t show up in Paul’s communications. His focus on plans, policies and protocols were missing the element of caring for his students and empathizing with his families in their pain and frustration of life in a pandemic.
Additionally Barger reminds leaders that a calm, yet assertive demeanor is what people need from their leaders during times of crisis. A sense of calm coming from leaders helps reduce fear and stress. Yet being assertive is a necessary balancing act for effective leadership. Leaders need to demonstrate they are working toward a solution and continually keeping everyone updated on the situation, even if all of the solutions and answers are not yet in place. Paul handled things with a calm demeanor but his community didn’t see the level of assertiveness necessary for effective communication and leadership during the difficult months of the pandemic.
At the end of the day, good leaders understand the importance of relational communications and leadership. Communicating information is important. But leading relationally, by being visible, caring, empathetic , calm and assertive, is vital if leaders are going to be effective in times of crisis.