The 3 Stages of Communication in Leadership
How To Master The Art (and Craft) of Communication
In this issue:
Inspiration From Gaming
Stage 1: Inform
Stage 2: Inspire
Stage 3: Influence
Bringing It Together: The 3 Stages of Communication in Leadership
The Interplay Between the 3 Stages
Download the Three Stages of Communication Worksheet
Complementary Frameworks and Other Resources
Final Thoughts and Takeaways
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Inspiration From Gaming
A few days ago, I found my 9-year-old son in tears, his Nintendo Switch 🎮 tossed aside. When I asked what was wrong, he wiped his face and muttered, “I hate this game. I’ve been stuck on this level for days.”
He had been playing Minecraft Dungeons, battling bosses and grinding for loot, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t seem to beat that one stage. “I’ll never get to the next level,” he said, frustration written all over his face.
I sat down next to him, picked up the controller, and after a few tries, I felt the same thing. The game wasn’t unfair – it was just hard.
Pro players don’t start their game at the pro level. They start as rookies, and work their way up just like everyone else. Some players — the ones that are dedicated, focused, and strategic — move up the stages faster.
As I thought about this, it struck me that leadership communication is not much different.
Communication is a skill that every leader can master. And every leader operates at different stages, depending on their proficiency, experience, and approach to communication.
In this article, I will discuss the 3 Stages of Communication in Leadership, aka the 3 I’s — Inform, Inspire, Influence — and how you as a leader can navigate these stages to master the art (and craft) of communication.
Stage 1: Inform
“Power today comes from sharing information, not withholding it.” — Keith Ferrazzi
As a new gamer (or a gamer new to a game), you start as a rookie. Your focus is on staying alive, and as you play the game, you learn the rules, the nitty-gritties, and the tactics.
Similarly, as a leader, your first stage of communication is Inform.
At its core, informing involves laying out facts, data, and relevant information.
As a leader, you need to ensure your team members and stakeholders are kept updated with pertinent information, and are equipped with the knowledge that they need to get their job done.
Examples of informing:
- Cascading information from leadership to your teams
- Keeping leadership updated on progress made by your team on projects in flight
- Sharing decision outcomes that impact your team or stakeholders
As you go about sharing information, you also need to be mindful of how you communicate. In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Leaders, I discussed the importance of being authentic and transparent as you communicate with your teams.
Here are some common mistakes you want to avoid:
Overloading with Information: Leaders sometimes mistake informing for dumping every detail. Too much information overwhelms your team, diluting the key messages. Focus on relevance and clarity – not every email needs a 5-page attachment.
Lack of Transparency: Hoarding information or sugarcoating problems creates distrust. Your team values honesty, even if the news isn’t great. Transparent communication builds credibility and ensures alignment.
One-Way Communication: Informing isn’t just about speaking at people. If you aren’t opening space for feedback or questions, you are inviting for misunderstandings. Encourage dialogue and open conversation.
As a leader, your goal is to provide accurate, relevant, and timely information to your teams and your stakeholders.
Stage 2: Inspire
“A leader must inspire, or his team will expire.” — Orrin Woodword
In gaming, as you progress to the intermediate level, you learn some of the strategies and moves you weren’t aware of earlier.
Your focus shifts from staying alive to making progress.
Similarly, as a leader, the second stage of communication is Inspire.
Inspiration goes beyond just information sharing. When you inspire, you ignite passion, fuel motivation, and trigger positive emotions in your audience.
Examples of inspiring:
- Sharing a compelling story that resonates with your team
- Painting a vivid image of the future to inspire your team
- Getting your teams excited about the shared goal or vision
In Big, Hairy, Audacious Goals (BHAGs): How Successful Leaders Drive Innovation, we discussed how you can develop inspirational goals for your organization.
When you inspire, you tap into the emotional dimension of communication. But you should watch out for some common pitfalls:
Forgetting the "Why": Some leaders try to motivate by focusing solely on what needs to be done. But inspiration comes from the why. Without connecting tasks to a bigger purpose, your team won’t feel invested.
Relying on Words Alone: Inspiration isn't just about giving a powerful speech or quoting Simon Sinek ;-). Your actions matter more. Leaders who don't embody the vision they preach quickly lose credibility. Walk the talk.
Neglecting Individual Motivations: Not everyone is inspired by the same things. Get to know what drives each person on your team, and tailor your communication accordingly. Avoid a one-size-fits all approach.
As a leader, your goal is to inspire your teams about the shared goals and vision, and to get them excited about what the future holds.
Stage 3: Influence
“The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority.” — Ken Blanchard
In gaming, as you advance to the pro level, you come up with your unique strategies, which are then adopted by other gamers. Your focus shifts from making progress to creating new paths and strategies.
Similarly, Influence belongs to the advanced stage of communication in leadership.
While informing and inspiring lay the groundwork for communication, influence is the catalyst that propels action.
Remember: You can share all the information you have, and inspire your team all you want, but all that is for nothing if they fail to take action.
As a leader, you need to influence your team, your stakeholders, and your boss to shape opinions, attitudes, and behaviors.
Examples of communicating with influence:
- Compelling others to change their perspective
- Driving alignment toward a common goal or objective
- Propelling others into action
Influence is the highest stage of communication, and it requires strategic thinking and a focus on the long-term objectives of the organization. However, you must watch out for some common traps:
Skipping Inform and Inspire: Influence doesn’t work in isolation. If you jump straight to influencing without laying the groundwork (informing and inspiring), your team may feel misled rather than led. Influence is most effective when built on trust and shared understanding.
Being Too Aggressive: Trying to force alignment or push decisions without involving others creates resistance. Influence is about collaboration and guiding people to arrive at the conclusion with you – not dragging them there.
As a leader, your goal should be to communicate with influence to drive change and alignment toward the corporate goals.
Bringing It Together: The 3 Stages of Communication in Leadership
We discussed the three I’s, or stages, of communication in leadership:
Inform. Provide accurate and timely information to your team and stakeholders.
Inspire. Get your teams excited about the shared goals and vision.
Influence. Drive change and alignment towards corporate goals.
As you build your communication muscle, you should move up the stages. Eventually, you should be using all three I’s, and that’s where you need to appreciate the interplay between them.
But the question is: How do you master the stages, and level up your communication in practice?
Now, let’s turn our attention to making this framework work for you in your role as a leader. Doing this methodically will help you master the stages of communication and move up the stages quickly while maximizing your impact as a leader.
Next, we will:
Discuss the interplace between the three stages, and how each influences the other
Make it real: Put the power of this framework into practice with the Three Stages of Communication worksheet, which includes step-by-step prompts to guide you through the application process
Review some complementary frameworks that work well with the Three Stages of Communication
Review additional resources to further your understanding
Close out with some key takeaways