If message isn’t landing, maybe it’s time to question the messenger. That’s you
The role of the leader is challenging. Especially when it comes to the messy business of people. Anyone who has ever tried to change the attitude of a group of people knows the feeling shouting into the abyss. You know you should be able to craft just the right speech to move people, to get them to see the vision that you see and ultimately, to persuade them to do something differently.
But, no matter how earnest your delivery, how well crafted your stories and how soaring your rhetoric – people kind of shrug and saunter off, nonplussed. Then nothing changes.
I worked with a large pharmaceutical company on the delivery of a national conference. The goal was to shift the thinking amongst employees to a patient-centred perspective. All the senior leaders had a presentation to share and they all had robust and compelling arguments as to why this was a positive shift for the company. But it wasn’t until the voice of the patient was literally introduced to the agenda that the mood shifted. Hearing directly from the patients that were impacted, positively and negatively, before, during and after their treatment totally changed the game.
We might call this ‘outsourced inspiration’.
Leaders often overestimate the persuasive power of their own voice, when in reality, the most effective way to inspire action is to pass the microphone to someone more credible. Not to suggest that leaders always hog the mic, or they think they have the magic touch; in most cases leaders feel a justified sense of responsibility to persuade their teams that they need to change.
Sometimes the most compelling speaker is somebody else. It could be someone without any positional power or influence markers. Somebody with zero ‘clout’ but because of their unique perspective, lived experience or individual point of view – they are precisely the voice that is needed to spark change.
Modern Research
There is a useful body of work from Adam Grant and David Hofman that helps explain why this happens.
They studied university fundraisers. The assumption was simple. If leaders stood up and made a compelling case about the importance of donations, results would improve. They didn’t. When leaders spoke about the value of giving, there was little to no change in fundraising outcomes. The message was clear, logical, even inspiring. Still, behaviour did not shift.
Then something changed. Instead of a leader speaking, a student who had received a scholarship told their story. They spoke about what the support had meant to them and how it had changed their life.
Fundraising results increased significantly.
Same audience. Same underlying message. Completely different outcome.
The explanation sits in something called attributional suspicion. Put simply, people question the motives of those in authority. Even when leaders are acting with integrity, audiences can assume there is an agenda. More funding. Better performance. Organisational success. Whatever it might be, we assume they are not speaking with our interests front of mind.
A beneficiary does not trigger the same response. Their perspective feels grounded in experience rather than intent. Their message lands because it feels real.
The issue is not whether leaders are right. It is whether they are believed.
Ancient Wisdom
Over 2000 years ago Aristotle understood and articulated the importance of credibility. He wrote about ‘ethos’ being one of the three routes to persuasion, the most important in fact. The audience will always make a judgement if the person with the microphone is to be trusted.
If I don’t trust you, I will not be persuaded by your arguments. No matter how well supported by facts and evidence. And, regardless of whether or not you happen to be the boss.
When to Pass the Microphone
If you accept that influence is shaped by who speaks, not just what is said, then the role of the leader shifts.
There are moments where your voice is not the one that will carry the message far enough. One such situation is when you are trying to connect people to purpose. Purpose lives in impact of the work that your organisation does. It is best understood through the people who experience it. Customers, patients, end users. They bring meaning to the work in a way that a strategy presentation never will.
Another is when credibility comes from lived experience. Peer voices matter here. People look sideways before they look up. They want to hear from someone who has done the thing, not just someone who is asking them to do it. I want to see myself reflected in the speaker.
There are also moments where your motives may be questioned, even unfairly. Large scale change, cost pressure or shifts in direction. In these situations, your message may be filtered before it is even heard. Introducing another voice can cut through that noise.
And finally, when what you need is belief. Understanding is rarely the problem. Most teams understand what is being asked of them. The gap is in whether they feel compelled to act. That is where the right messenger makes all the difference.
When to Hold the Microphone
None of this removes the responsibility of the leader.
There are things you cannot and should not delegate. Clarity of purpose sits with you. People need to know where the organisation is going and why it matters. That can never be ‘outsourced’.
Strategy and trade offs also belong in your voice. Decisions carry weight because of where they come from. Handing that over would create confusion, mixed messages and potentially chaos.
There are also moments that call for visible leadership. Times of uncertainty. Points of tension. Situations that require accountability. In these moments, people look to the leader for direction and stability. I wrote this post recently about just such leadership communication challenges.
Why Leaders Get This Wrong
Most leaders are not trying to dominate the conversation. They are trying to do their job, be accountable — lead.
If something matters, they feel they should be the one to say it. If a message is important, they want to make sure it is delivered properly. There is a sense of ownership that comes with the role.
The challenge is that this instinct can work against the outcome they are trying to achieve.
There is also a quiet assumption that position carries persuasive weight. That if you are senior enough, your words should land. In practice, the opposite can be true. The more authority you hold, the more your message can be filtered through questions of intent.
At times, holding the microphone is less about leadership and more about control. It feels safer to keep the message in your hands. It also limits how far it can travel.
A Final Thought
The next time you are preparing to communicate something important, pause for a moment.
Ask yourself a simple question: Am I the BEST person to create meaning in the hearts and minds of my audience?
And if the answer is no, who is?
When coaching leadership communication I often ask – what is the presentation only you can make? This helps people find their unique perspective on a subject. Then they are better able to speak with conviction. If that conviction feels forced, perhaps this topic needs a different speaker.
Sometimes the most effective thing you can do as a leader is step forward with clarity, and then step back and pass the microphone.