If you think communication is just about sharing information, you’re deceiving yourself.

Stop it.

You’re doing a huge disservice to your leadership.

Even though I’ve been doing this professionally for a long time now, I must admit that I don’t like the word “communication”. Especially today because it’s being practised largely as a mere facsimile of what it really is.

There are a number of reasons for that.

We can blame technology, of course.

Common usage of PowerPoint has caused communication to devolve into a mere transmission of data and facts. Presentations are driven by how much you can fit on one slide. And sadly, many organizations insist that their employees comply with this.

The underlying belief is likely one of “Give people the facts — all the facts — so they’ll do what you need them to do.”

Not so.

Neuroscience has proven that we actually can’t make a decision based on facts alone. Our brains aren’t wired that way. Before we can even decide to do something or not, we need to FEEL something about it. Facts alone won’t do that no matter how important they may be to you. They can be used to ground what you’re saying, to make it believable and credible. And that’s important.

But stating just the facts alone isn’t communicating; it’s transmitting. That’s just one-way whereas even basic communication has to be two-way:  your words have to be transmitted and received.

And there’s an even higher bar to meet when you communicate as a leader. Your words not only have to be received, they also have to evoke a response – specifically the response that advances your leadership initiative.

People will not respond based on the facts alone. They need to feel.

So don’t fall into that “load them up with the facts” trap. And don’t let yourself or anyone else on your team remain deluded that shooting out an arsenal of facts means you’re actually communicating.

You’re not.

The true meaning of communication is buried deeper down in its dictionary definition.

“Connection”.

Does that already feel different to you?

Connection has a lot of relevance to leadership.

It’s about creating access between people. Joining together. And, my favourite, a moment of recognition.

Reflect on that for a moment.

Recognition. The state of being recognized or acknowledged.

How does that feel?

Imagine if every time you communicated, others felt recognized and acknowledged. Like they matter.

If you could make them feel that way, do you think they’d be more likely to respond to you?

And what would that mean to your ability to engage, align and mobilize them to help realize your leadership initiatives.

Contrast that with the opposite of connection: disconnection.

That’s a state too many find themselves in today. They feel a deep sense of disconnection. They may not know why but they feel disheartened, even disenfranchised. They’re yearning for connection on any level.

You can gift that to them when you speak — authentically, of course — by expressing what matters to you and your organization in the way that makes it matter to them too. .

To do that, you have to know them. Recognize them. Join together.

Connect.

And then you’ll really be communicating.