07 August 2009

Letter from Lhasa, number 123. (Mai 2003): The Leader as Communicator

Letter from Lhasa, number 123. (Mai 2003): The Leader as Communicator

by Roberto Abraham Scaruffi


Mai, R., and A. Akerson, The Leader as Communicator. Strategies and Tactics to Build Loyalty, Focus Effort, and Spark Creativity, AMACOM, 2003.

(Mai 2003).

Robert Mai,

Alan Akerson



The gist of this book is clearly stated from the authors: “In writing this book, we have set two goals for ourselves: first to make our case to leaders and potential leaders that communication carries a make-or-break importance; second, to provide comfortable, easy-to-remember, easy-to-use communication tactics and tools that support key leadership objectives.” (Mai 2003, p. 8)


We decided to write this book because leaders we’ve worked with continually express concern about three “people” issues that we, biased as we are, consider to be preeminently communication issues:

1. Commitment to the organization and its goals (calling for leaders to act as community builders)

2. Awareness and understanding of organizational goals and priorities (calling for leaders to act as navigators and direction setters), especially during change and transition

3. Willingness and ability to help the organization become better (calling for leaders to act as renewal champions)

(Mai 2003, p. 17-18)


The leader needs to communicate for being a leader: “Leadership cannot exist in the absence of dialogue with those who agree to be led. Command and authority are conferred, but leadership is created jointly, a product of the words shared and the conversations held that together establish and develop relationship.” (Mai 2003, p. 14)


Communication is essential for building relationships: “Thus, leadership communication is about relationship building, in all of its many dimensions. When leaders manage communication effectively, work relationships are strong, well informed, and purposeful.” (Mai 2003, p. 14)


Leaders need, according (Mai 2003), making sense and create vision.


Immanent, in this kind of “games”, is whether “image building” had some, or a real, material base so that it really be interiorised. Differently it is perceived as deception, perhaps even as mockery according specific contexts. Or, anyway, these stories (told from leaders) must be what people need to listen and make their own.


Storytelling is about meaning-making. From basic plotlines that reveal the essence of a company and its mission, all the way to stories that heal wounds, create alliances, or rally troops around new challenges and opportunities, stories help us make sense of the organizations we serve, and our place in them. So it’s not surprising that leadership communication relies heavily on storytelling: telling the right stories to the right audiences at the right time and involving others in the work of authorship as often as possible.” (Mai 2003, p. 73)



Mai, R., and A. Akerson, The Leader as Communicator. Strategies and Tactics to Build Loyalty, Focus Effort, and Spark Creativity, AMACOM, 2003.