In late January, Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, sent a memo complaining that his communications in meetings were constantly being leaked. What happened next?
That memo was promptly leaked. Pretty meta, right?
Corporate communications can look like the grown-up version of the playground game telephone. The CEO says one thing, but by the time it reaches the intern (or someone’s Twitter/X feed), the meaning and context have morphed into something entirely different, mostly not in a good way.
The Modern Leader’s Communication Conundrum
One of the tougher aspects of leadership is communicating bad or unwelcome news, especially if it will affect team morale. Whether mandating a return to the office (topic fatigue much?) or navigating the ever-evolving DEI minefield, leaders’ communication style can turn employees into enthusiastic ambassadors or disgruntled activists.
Unfortunately, many leaders are still using communication playbooks that predate the smartphone era. Employees today want to feel they’re part of the conversation, not just passive recipients.
You may be thinking, “Bummer for those guys, but my team and I are solid!” And while we hope that’s true, some surveys tell a different story.
PwC’s 2024 Trust Survey showed that 86% of executives reported a high level of trust toward employees. However, it’s important to note that only 60% of workers believe their employers trust them.
Trust and Community Are the New Currency of Culture
Think of trust and community as an account you build to sustain culture. Situations and crises come and go, but organizations with high trust have a deeper well of trust to dip into and endure storms with less damage.
When trust is lacking, communication falters, and employees can quickly shift from being your biggest cheerleaders to your loudest critics. Not only that, the PwC data also shows that low trust among employees can lead to quiet quitting and a drag on the bottom line. “The risk is not that people leave — it’s that they stay and work half-heartedly.”
Leaders walk a tightrope of internal and external communications. In our hyper-transparent world, today’s internal memo is tomorrow’s viral leak. Many employees may be micro-influencers in their own right. With platforms at their fingertips, they can amplify their voices for better or worse, usually worse if they have low trust in their employer…and we know that negativity gets eyeballs.
The goal? Ensure they’re singing your praises, not airing grievances.
Strategies to Foster Trust and Community
How can leaders bridge the communication gap and cultivate a thriving internal community? Here are some down-to-earth strategies that we’ve seen work with our clients:
Transparency—Rip Off the Band-Aid: Bad news doesn’t get better with age. If the company is going through tough times, be upfront about it. It may be painful at first, but it sets the tone for faster healing in the long run.
Authenticity—Be Human, Not a Corporate Robot: Share your experiences, admit mistakes, and show vulnerability. When leaders are genuine, it fosters a culture where employees feel safe to do the same. Authenticity not only “feels” better to our trust-seeking brain, research also shows that teams perform better when employees do not feel like they have to “covering” or masking their uniqueness to fit into an unspoken template.
Limit Corporate Jargon: Review your communications for buzzwords that fuel comedians. We want to be funny in the right way 
Engagement—Open the Floor: Oprah once said that the one thing everyone she interviewed had in common during her decades-long career was the desire to be seen, heard and understood. Employees who feel heard are more likely to be engaged, committed and think positively about their employer. Host Q&A sessions, town halls, or casual coffee chats.
Proactive Communication—Stay Ahead of the Rumor Mill: Don’t wait for the grapevine to distort the message. Communicate changes, challenges, and updates before misinformation takes root.
In the end, effective communication is less about delivering polished speeches and more about fostering genuine connections. Leaders can transform potential critics into passionate ambassadors by embracing transparency, authenticity, and proactive engagement.
So, next time you (and your favorite AI companion) draft that company-wide email, don’t forget to bring your human self into the final version. A little honesty, a dash of humor, and a commitment to open dialogue can go a long way toward building a resilient and united team.
Are you looking to enhance your leadership communication strategies? At Forshay, we “make great teams…and we make teams great” and helping leaders foster deeper trust and build engaged teams is a leverage point we can nail for you. Reach out for a coffee chat today.
