If anyone knows how to craft a compelling message, it’s a communications leader.
Communicators excel at building brand awareness, protecting reputations, and engaging stakeholders with persuasive storytelling. It’s a skill they’ve honed day in, day out throughout their careers. But does being a strong external communicator mean that you know how to communicate with your internal team? Not necessarily. If leaders neglect the way they guide and connect with their own people, no amount of clever comms finagling is going to smooth over the join.
Poor team alignment has a way of surfacing in the subtlest ways, including slowed projects, confusion about priorities, or even an undercurrent of dissatisfaction that affects the broader organisational culture.
Comms leaders need to find a leadership style that resonates with their teams, but there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. One team might benefit from an authoritative style when quick decisions are crucial. In other situations, especially when new ideas are essential, a democratic approach might be a better bet.
Below are five leadership styles that can each play a key role. The real magic happens when leaders blend them in a way that best fits their team and the situation at hand.
Transformational leadership
Transformational leaders energise and motivate by painting a compelling vision and inviting new ideas. This is especially valuable in communications, where creativity is key. By trusting your team to take ownership, you spark a sense of enthusiasm and pride that drives stronger results.
Transactional leadership
Transactional leadership zeroes in on structure, clear expectations, and consistent feedback. Roles and responsibilities are well-defined, so everyone knows exactly what is required of them. While it may not feel as ‘exciting’ as a transformational approach, it’s highly effective where precision and reliability are critical: think crisis communications protocols, compliance messaging, or high-volume content production schedules.
Read also: Women leading the conversation: Female communicators shaping public discourse
Servant leadership
Servant leaders put their people first. They focus on the team’s well-being, growth, and overall success. This naturally builds trust and fosters a supportive environment where folks feel empowered to innovate and collaborate. Research by Associate Professor Mulyadi Robin at the Australian Institute of Business shows that servant leadership boosts engagement and performance – both huge wins for any communications team.
Authentic leadership
Authentic leadership is rooted in a leader’s integrity, self-awareness, and commitment to ethical behaviour. While servant leadership centres on putting others first, authentic leadership focuses on the leader’s core values of transparency, honesty, and consistency.
Ethical leadership
Ethical leadership is on the rise as organisations face heightened scrutiny over their social and environmental impact. Ethical leaders prioritise fairness, inclusivity, and responsibility, making decisions that align with moral principles rather than short-term gains. They cultivate workplaces where diversity is valued, sustainability is emphasised, and employees feel safe and motivated.
One style doesn’t fit all
Leaders who understand multiple leadership styles and can pivot between them are better equipped to handle today’s fast-moving and often unpredictable business landscape. For instance, you might begin a new, high-profile campaign with a transformational approach to spark creativity and buy-in. Once the project is underway, employing transactional tactics around deadlines and deliverables can keep execution on track.
It’s worth noting that no single leadership style works for every scenario. Sometimes, leaders will need to be transformational to rally their team behind a brand-new campaign. Once the ball’s rolling, switching to a more transactional approach keeps everyone on track with deadlines and responsibilities.
It’s always a smart move to invest in formal leadership development. By sharpening their leadership skills – whether through an MBA, a mentorship, or another program – comms leaders can make a direct investment in their team’s success.
Comms leaders are experts at communicating with stakeholders and external customers. Bringing that same level of care and clarity to their internal leadership is a surefire way to build a team that’s united, motivated, and prepared to take on any challenge.
Darius Pfitzner
Professor Darius Pfitzner is the Academic Dean of the Australian Institute of Business. He joins AIB from Charles Darwin University, where he was previously Associate Dean of Innovations. With extensive experience in academic leadership, Professor Pfitzner has held roles including Associate Dean of Learning & Teaching, Discipline Leader in Economics and IT, and led new campus deployments in NSW and Victoria.
Beyond academia, he has served on governance bodies such as the Australian Business Deans Council, the Small Business Association of Australia, and the Australasian Council of Deans of Information and Communications Technology. He also brings hands-on business experience, having owned and managed several businesses over 30 years.
Professor Pfitzner holds degrees in International Business and Information Technology, and has a PhD in Information Search, with research spanning academic integrity, human cognition, statistical analysis, and the challenges faced by microbusinesses. His work has been published in leading education and business journals.
