It’s not just about transmitting information. In the corporate world, an approach that we specialists call transformational communication is beginning to gain ground: a way of leading conversations that not only inform, but also generate clarity, trust and real change within organizations.
For CEOs, directors and team leaders, this skill becomes increasingly crucial. In complex business contexts, where companies go through constant transformation processes—from technological changes to market reconfigurations—the quality of conversations becomes a strategic factor to align teams, make decisions more quickly and sustain organizational cultures capable of adapting.
Communication is not only what we say, but the impact that our words, silences and emotions generate on others. Companies don’t just change with new strategies, they change when the conversations their leaders have change.
One of the great challenges that many organizations face today is the lack of clear conversations. Avoiding feedback, postponing uncomfortable conversations or using ambiguous messages usually generates confusion, burnout and loss of trust within teams. In many cases, problems that appear as execution failures, low productivity or lack of commitment have their origin in conversations that never occurred or that occurred in an ineffective manner.
For this reason, more and more companies are beginning to train their leaders not only in technical or strategic skills, but also in how to talk, listen and give feedback effectively. In an environment where the speed of change is increasing, leaders who manage to generate clarity in the midst of uncertainty become a key asset for the business.
The data supports this trend. According to the report Global Human Capital Trends from Deloitteorganizations are increasingly revaluing human skills within leadership. Along the same lines, the report State of the Global Workplace Gallup shows that teams with high levels of engagement—a factor closely linked to the quality of leadership and communication—can report up to 23% more profitability and 18% more sales productivity than those with lower engagement.
For CEOs and front-line executives, this implies a change of outlook. For a long time, leadership was primarily associated with strategy or decision making. Today organizations are beginning to understand that the way leaders communicate with their teams (and with themselves) directly impacts critical business variables: work environment, talent retention, speed of execution and even capacity for innovation.
Assertiveness is not talking more or imposing a point of view. It is giving clarity, sustaining the relationship and generating trust. In this context, communication stops being a “soft” skill and becomes a strategic management tool. A well-led conversation can organize priorities, unblock conflicts, accelerate decisions and strengthen team commitment. A poorly managed (or even avoided) conversation, on the other hand, can generate uncertainty, discourage people, or weaken organizational culture.
Research also shows the magnitude of the impact leadership has on team experience. According to the report State of the Global Workplace 2024 According to Gallup, 70% of a team’s level of commitment depends directly on its manager. That is, how that leader listens, gives feedback, communicates decisions and builds trust on a day-to-day basis.
For many organizations, the challenge is not only to improve corporate communication outwards, but to transform the quality of conversations that occur within the company. You can have a brilliant vision and an impeccable strategic plan, but if the message doesn’t connect with people, you lose it. Not only does what is said matter, it also matters – and above all – how we make those who listen to us feel. And that’s what transformational communication is all about.
In a business context that requires greater adaptability, collaboration and speed of execution, transformational communication thus appears as one of the most relevant competencies for today’s leadership. Because, ultimately, many of the transformations that companies seek do not begin with a new plan, but with a different conversation within the organization.
*The author is graduate and Professor in Social Communication from the UBA, facilitator and speaker in Transformational Communication, executive coach and CEO & Founder of Makana Comunicación.
by Vero Salatino
