Audiences, even those of colleagues across the same organization, engage content differently than they used to.
Strongly held social, political, and personal beliefs color what is heard and how people react. In large group settings, some audience members are on high alert, looking for comments that might be offensive or off-putting. Others over-interpret what leaders say and hear opinions and views to be firm commitments to action.
This makes speaking to large groups, even inside the organization, dicey for leaders.
Leaders can play it safe and avoid addressing groups with anything other than mundane comments. Some leaders even go so far as to not speak openly with the team or allow colleagues to ask questions in an open forum.
This, of course, robs the larger audience of learning about important matters and ideas directly from the leader. Given the value that leaders and audiences place on transparency, this seems like an unusual stance.
But leaders who have been confronted by unhappy audience members in the past sometimes learn a lesson too well. Given that someone is likely to accuse them of bad or biased intentions, the safest path may be to refrain from speaking at all.
Interestingly, these same leaders would never run from decisions that are unpopular or controversial simply because a small set of team members takes issue with them. Good leaders do what is in the best interest of the organization, team, and customers. Not everyone is going to agree with or like many of the decisions they make. Leaders accept this and make their choices anyway. The same should be true for large group speaking.
It is best to presume someone in any audience, maybe even a small group of people, will find offense in what is said or discussed. But speaking to the group openly, vulnerably, candidly, and with the conviction of values is what good leaders do regardless of how people might react or respond.
This is not to say leaders can or should cross clear lines of appropriateness with the excuse of openness. There are things not to say or project to any audience. But allowing the potential reaction of a small set of individuals to prevent a transparent discussion of what everyone should know and hear directly from the leader is the wrong call.
Decision-making and the leading of organizations are fraught with paradox, complexity, and competing views. There is no perfectly safe ground to stand on when discussing how things work, why choices are made, and what preferences and biases leaders should rely upon to make quality decisions. But good leaders don’t shy away from speaking their mind openly with the group. They know the benefits far outweigh the risks.
Presuming someone is likely to be offended by something the leader says softens the blow when it occurs. The truth is, people can take offense to anything. There are no restrictions on how people can interpret what they hear. Good leaders accept that and communicate openly anyway. That’s one reason they are good leaders.
