Podcast: Turning leaders into communicators

Jonathan Davies

26 mins read

Table of Contents

The Internal Communication Podcast - Episode 19

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Jonathan Davies: Alright, welcome! We're back again for another episode of the Internal Communications podcast. This week as a millennial would say, I'm truly #blessed to have Jason Anthoine back in the podcast. Jason, I'm going to let you reintroduce yourself again to our audience for those who miss out on the first episode.

Jason Anthoine: Well, thanks so much. It's a great pleasure to be here. I run a firm called Audacity and we help companies inform and involve, and inspire their employees. My background has been almost 32 years of nothing but Internal Communications, employee engagement and culture change. I really enjoy working with companies of all sizes.

How does Internal Comms help leaders overcome challenges?

Jonathan Davies: First off, we started talking because I told you that we wanted to do podcasts about leadership... What can we do?

Jason Anthoine: One, it's about understanding the leader's communication style. Communication is not a function, it's a leadership responsibility. Our job as Internal Communicators is to help them be better at communicating.

Overcoming the crisis of leadership

Jonathan Davies: Where is it all going wrong? What's the actual problem?

Jason Anthoine: I think it's a crisis of leadership from the speed of business and some of the expectations that leaders have... They're so focused on results, they forget about the consequences of those results.

Creating employee alignment and engagement with the help of Internal Comms

Jonathan Davies: I want to touch on the crisis of speed... How can Internal Communicators help in this area?

Jason Anthoine: Creating alignment is critical. Leaders need to communicate where the company is going and how every employee fits into that journey to avoid wasted work.

How can we improve the relationship between leaders and Internal Communications?

Jason Anthoine: The first step is spending more time with both leaders and employees... Second, we need to focus on data and analytics to provide leaders with insights that they value.

Helping leaders define the 'Why'

Jason Anthoine: Leaders need to define the why behind what they do. That's the most valuable role that leaders can play.

Leaders are human too

Jonathan Davies: It's crucial to remember that leadership is not inherent, but learned over time.

Jason Anthoine: Exactly. Leadership skills can be developed, and we need to help leaders remain grounded.

Conclusion

Jonathan Davies: Thanks so much for being here again. How can people get in touch with you?

Jason Anthoine: You can find me at thinkaudacity.com.