Leadership communication pet peeves and how you can avoid them

11 Mar

Leadership communication can make or break culture, trust and performance. Over the years, small habits can quietly erode credibility, clarity and engagement. Most of them are fixable, however, with a little awareness and intention. So, here are some of the most common leadership communication missteps and how to correct them.

1. Removing access to be more efficient

Here’s an example: some organisations have started removing phone numbers from email signatures and internal directories. On the surface, it may look like a productivity or privacy move, but every action sends a message.

When leaders reduce access without providing a viable alternative, it can signal distance, lack of transparency, or avoidance. It also shifts the burden elsewhere, often to reception or shared inboxes, which only adds to frustration and bottlenecks.

The fix:
If you remove one channel, replace it with another like a meeting booking link, or a clear response-time expectations. You could add a triaged inbox with accountability and processes to manage inputs. It’s worth remembering that communication is connection and service, so when we remove those, it can backfire immediately.

Before making changes, ask: What message does this send about who we are?

2. Broadcasting is NOT communicating

Broadcasting is: “We mentioned it in a town hall”, “It was in an email” or “It went out in the newsletter.”

Actual communication requires understanding, and in a world where the average person receives well over 100 emails a day (not to mention messages, notifications and meetings), assuming that awareness of the message is signalling comprehension of it, is a mistake.

Add to that the way that leaders often overestimate how well their message has landed because they’re immersed in it daily, and you have an audience that has no idea what they’re hearing, reading or seeing… or, why it matters.

The fix:
Start with who, not what.

Who is this for?
What matters to them?
What else is competing for their attention?
What format will resonate?

You can also try to repackage key messages in multiple formats and repeat them. Most importantly, check for understanding. Don’t ask, “does this make sense?” ask, “What does this mean for you?” That’s when you’ll find out if it truly landed.

3. Professional ghosting

You send an email. Silence. You follow up. Silence. You submit a proposal. Silence.

Professional ghosting is more common than we like to admit, and it stems from busyness, unclear ownership, avoidance, or something known as the messenger effect which is where the who behind the message influences how seriously it’s taken. However, no matter the reason for it, silence erodes trust and credibility.

The fix:
Create response norms with even a simple acknowledgment “Received, I’ll get back to you by Friday”. For shared inboxes, assign clear ownership because when it’s everyone’s job, it’s no one’s job. Oh, and if a conversation is uncomfortable? Have it anyway, because silence rarely makes things better.

4. The Urgency Myth

Everything feels urgent, but very little truly is. In fact, “urgent” is mostly code for poor planning, unclear priorities, or last-minute panic - all of which urgency creates burnout, reduces quality and keeps teams stuck in reactive mode. So here’s a useful reminder: you’re in PR, not the ER.

The fix:
Define a clear criteria for urgency. For example:

Is someone’s safety at risk?
Is there a non-negotiable deadline?
Does it directly impact a strategic priority?

If not, it may not be urgent. Also consider timing within the broader organisational cycle. Launching a major initiative during peak budgeting season, for example, guarantees resistance and context matters.

5. Late night pings or after hours chats

A burst of inspiration at 10:47pm, with an email sent at 11:03pm and a message prefaced with, “Sorry to bother you on a Saturday…”. Even when there’s no expectation of reply, after-hours communication subtly signals urgency and here in Australia, the “right to disconnect” is now both law and recognised, but culture often overrides policy.

The fix:
Use delayed sends, write the note to yourself and set clear expectations with your team about response times. Then, model i! Leadership isn’t just what you say but when and how you say it.

6. Jargon, weasel words and passive voice

Corporate language often hides behind complexity and that leads to nothing except confusion. When you have long sentences, three-letter acronyms and vague statements like “this will be addressed in due course”, you may feel like you’re hitting the mark but ultimately, you’re not. In fact, research consistently shows that people perceive communicators who use plain language as more intelligent and credible than those who rely on overly complex vocabulary.

The fix:
Write at approximately a Year 9 level, use an active voice and be concrete in what you say.

Instead of: “The proposal will be reviewed”, say: “I will review the proposal by Friday.”

7. Meeting madness

Calendars filled from 8am to 6pm leave little time left to actually do the work. When those meetings are without purpose and signal indecision, unclear priorities or performative busyness, it only makes things ten times worse. They also disadvantage different thinking styles, especially those who need preparation time to contribute meaningfully.

The fix:

Only book meetings with a clear purpose.
Include an agenda in advance.
End with: Who is doing what, by when?
Consider “no meeting” blocks.
Give people permission to call out when discussions drift off track.

8. Forwarding with no context

An email lands in your inbox with no context, no commentary and just an FYI. All this does is create confusion and wastes your time. It can also expose sensitive commentary if entire threads are passed along carelessly.

The fix:
Add context, state the actions required and try to copy and paste only what’s necessary. Remember: workplace communication belongs to the workplace, so assume anything written could be surfaced later. If it’s too sensitive for email, it should be a conversation.

9. Not walking the talk

Perhaps the most damaging of all is when a leader says one thing, and does another. Or, when they cancel one-on-ones repeatedly and preach values that aren’t reflected in behaviour. Often this disconnect stems from middle-management pressure, like being caught between executive decisions and team impact. Sometimes it’s simple exhaustion or even misalignment, but no matter what the cause, it doesn’t end well.