Running head: THE ROLE OF EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP IN COMMUNICATION 1

The Role of Effective Leadership in Communication

Jessica Harrison

Point Park University

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Open Business Communication and Positive Leadership

A positive work-life balance has quickly become a prevalent theme in today’s business

world. Looking towards the future, it has become apparent that in order to create a happy and

healthy work environment with happy and healthy employees, leadership and management

within businesses and firms must be tasked with developing a healthy work-life balance for their

employees as a means of promoting well-being and productivity. By promoting employee

happiness through a positive work-life balance, maintaining effective leadership, building

trusting relationships and instilling loyalty throughout the workforce, the channels of

communication will inevitably open creating an environment where the overall success of the

business becomes everyone’s priority. As the work-life balance becomes more focused on work,

employees can feel burnt out and become disengaged. This will lead them to become less

productive and will have a negative impact on the business. A positive work-life balance, on the

other hand, will improve company morale, increase productivity and express the level of value

you have for your employees, opening the channels of communication and help to maintain your

employees’ happiness, health and productivity. One of the ways in which these goals can be

achieved within an organization is by effective leadership that includes managers who value their

employees as individuals rather than just as producers of a product or service. Authentic,

effective leadership, best practices that promote employee happiness and well-being, and open

communication will increase an organization’s success and instill loyalty among their workforce.

Managers are an in important aspect to employees achieving a work-life balance.

Managers who pursue work-life balance in their own lives model appropriate behavior and

support employees in their pursuit of work-life balance. Effective leadership begins with valuing

your employees as individuals and respecting their needs and wants in a way that you would
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want your own needs and wants respected. By promoting a happy and healthy work-life balance,

you will create happy, engaged and loyal employees which will improve long-term company

performance and success. In order to lead effective, it is important to develop several skills and

traits which will encourage and influence your employees to want to follow your orders. Many

effective leaders of the past have exhibited many of the same characteristics that helped them on

their path to becoming proven successes. In their book, Leadership Communication: How

Leaders Communicate and How Communicators Lead in Today’s Global Enterprise, authors E.

Bruce Harrison and Judith Mühlberg relate that in a 2004 study conducted by Wharton School at

the University of Pennsylvania (2014, p.40) studied effective leaders from various industries and

developed a list of traits for an influential and successful leader, among that list were the

following traits of importance:

 “Ability to build strong corporate culture,

 Being a truthful person

 Being a fast learner, and

 Skillful at managing risk”

These traits exemplify what it takes to be an effective leader. Among the most important is

building a strong, corporate culture that encourages the happiness and well-being of your staff.

By doing so, trustworthy leaders will promote a strong corporate culture that will create loyal,

productive employees that are willing and excited to be at work and doing their job to help the

company succeed. Harrison and Mühlberg go on to state that, “leadership is communication”

(2014, p. 41) and this is important to note when considering how an employee produces and

reacts to their work environment. Without effective communication and positive leadership, a
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business will likely suffer the consequences through low productivity, high turnover rates, and a

corporate culture that negatively effects their employees.

While effective leadership requires certain traits and characteristics in order to be

succeed, the correlation between leaders who value their employees by promoting a healthy

work-life balance and taking into consideration their employees’ happiness and well-being and

listening to their needs and wants cannot be denied. In a recent study, Bloom, Kretschmer and

Van Reenen examined several factors related to management practices and the role effective

leadership plays in productivity and the promotion of a positive work-life balance. A survey

which was conducted among 700 firms in Europe and the United States (2009, p. 17) in which

employees were interviewed regarding their work environments concluded that there is a positive

correlation among strong management, company morale and productivity. While several factors

were considered in determining the overall satisfaction of employees, the most important of these

aspects were hours worked, longer holidays, more sick leave and the ability to work remotely

(2009, p. 19). These factors played a significant role in overall satisfaction. It is unsurprising

that there is direct evidence that suggests that workers are valuing jobs which have quality rather

than focusing on the quantity of jobs available.

When we work every day, all day, with no time set aside for living life, stress levels

increase, and we become disillusioned in our jobs. A good work-life balance is very important in

a normal, healthy and functioning life. While working to provide a living is a necessary part of

society, and although hard work is not a bad thing, it is important to find the right balance to

keep our minds and bodies healthy. Downtime or rest is a critical aspect of replenishing our

reserves. Effective leadership also involves recognizing that productivity, company morale, and

the overall success of a business are directly related to a positive work-life balance and loyal
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employees. In a recent study by Braun and Peus, it is suggested that worker dissatisfaction has

increased as employees have become more disengaged with their jobs due to a poor work-life

balance. Many working-class people spend most of their day at work or sleeping and this

lifestyle can lead to a drop in the levels of productivity (Braun 2016). Work-life balance reduces

the stress employees experience. When someone spends the majority of their days on work-

related activities and feel as if they are neglecting other important components of their lives,

stress and unhappiness result. An employee, who doesn't make time for self-care, eventually

damages their output and productivity. As more organizations become aware of this negative

effect on business success, leadership is being tasked with determining ways in which to promote

this positive work-life balance. To further their argument, the authors suggest that authentic

leadership, or the ability to be one’s true self even in a leadership role—understanding your

employees, valuing them and putting their needs as a priority to the success of your business, is

the key to achieving this balance.

When a positive work-life balance is included among a company’s best practices, it will

increase productivity, promote success, improve company morale, instill loyalty among its

employees and reduce turnover rates. These factors increase the level of teamwork within an

organization and encourage a positive work environment that can increase the levels of success

that a business achieves. Employee happiness and job satisfaction can directly impact the

business and operations. By promoting an environment in which employees feel heard and

comfortable, an increased level of communication seems like an obvious outcome of these best

practices being implemented. In a study conducted by Jackson and Fransman, the role of

“flexible work, financial well-being and work-life balance” was examined regarding employee

satisfaction and productivity (Jackson 2018). Their study concluded that, “if workers perceive
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that their organization shows concern and sensitivity to its personnel and their needs and values,

including work-family needs, they will respond by showing positive job outcomes” (2018, p.

10), providing further evidence that effective leadership and promoting happy, healthy and

engaged employees is a critical aspect of a business’s success.

In order to open up the levels of communication within your organization, effective

leadership which values the work-life balance of their employees and respects them as

individuals rather than just as workers who produce a product or provide a service, will not only

lead to increased success and productivity, but will also open up communication and teamwork

within your company. If you truly wish to lead effectively, it is imperative to consider your

employee’s physical and emotional well-being, encourage communication, be authentic in your

role of leadership and be true to your own morals and values as a human being. By instilling

best practices and engaging your employees on an authentic and genuine level that understands

their needs, you will create a loyal team environment with the company’s best interest and goals

in the forefront of their minds. Jiang and Men suggest that, “the extent to which managers

exhibit authentic leadership capabilities plays a critical role in how likely an organization is to

practice transparent communication” (2016, p. 229). This adds to the idea that communication

within an organization is directly affected by the role of leadership, the value on the employee

and the balance of work-life ratio. By promoting a healthy workplace through positive

leadership that encourages a work-life balance and employee well-being, the channels of

communication will become more open. When you value and trust the managers and leaders

within your organization, not only will your productivity increase but you will feel more open to

discuss ideas and information with your superiors. The study further indicates that “authentic

leaders advocate open communication, invite various perspectives, adhere to their moral values
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and principles, and objectively analyze all relevant information before coming to a conclusion or

decision, which reduces employees’ frustration and uncertainty and fosters a positive

environment” (2016, p. 239). Based on these results, it is reasonable to conclude that effective

leadership who understands the value of a happy and balanced employee, will promote a positive

work environment that encourages open and honest communication.

Honest and open communication begins with listening to the wants and needs of your

employees. Harrison and Mühlberg suggest that “listening is where communication begins”

(2014, p. 91). This is absolutely true in terms of effective leadership and how employees

perceive them. If employees feel that they are not being value or heard, overall productivity will

suffer as the workforce becomes disenchanted and disengaged. The authors also suggest that,

“Corporate leaders, and especially those charged with communication leadership, must bring the

art of listening into both personal and strategic business corridors” (2014, p. 92). By instilling a

best practice of listening to your employees, making them feel heard, and valuing their needs,

you will promote a business environment that includes a team mentality and trust among your

workforce. Understanding someone’s needs as an individual, respecting their life outside of their

work environment, making them feel appreciated and understood, and effectively

communicating with them, will create a loyal employee eager to show up and do their job. This

idea is further reinforced by an article in the Journal of Education and Practice, in which Jayakar

and Babu introduce the idea that, “Lack of good and effective workplace communication is a

problem for individuals as well as for organizations across the world. Success of an employee, a

team, or an organization depends mainly on efficient and effective personal communication in

the workplace among the employees as well as between the staff and managers” (2012 p. 8).
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After careful consideration and analysis of recent studies that have been conducted, it is

clear that, A balanced work-life can lead to increased productivity and promote employee well-

being and company morale. Various management practices can be instilled in order to achieve

these outcomes. Dissatisfaction and disengagement among employees directly relates to

employees feeling bunt out and unbalanced in their work-life. Authentic leadership and valuing

your employees can lead to a better understanding of your employees needs and help create a

better work-life balance and promote employee well-being and business success. Worker

satisfaction can be achieved by promoting a healthy work-life balance. A better job satisfaction

can lead to a better loyalty among your employees and create a better team environment. This

will open the channels of communication by ensuring your employees feel valued. By providing

authentic leadership, promoting a healthy work-life balance, valuing your employees and

ensuring their enrichment through personal growth, leaders and managers will promote

transparent organizational communication within the company and will reinforce loyalty among

employees. By keeping your employees engaged and helping them to feel valued and

understood, they will be more open to communicate and provide feedback which will benefit

company morale and productivity. This will lead to an increase in output among your

employees.

A positive work-life balance will not only improve company morale, increase

productivity and express the level of value you have for your employees, but will also open the

means and methods of communication. It is clearly apparent that a healthy work-life balance is

critical towards employee well-being and workplace morale. By promoting a work-life balance

that takes into account the needs of your employees, you will keep them engaged and happy in

their jobs. Effective leadership comes from being authentic and valuing your employees on a
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human level. In order to be successful as a leader, it is imperative that you consider your

employees needs and help them to achieve personal growth by maintaining a healthy work-life

balance that enables them to feel valued and understood on a human level. By promoting a

healthy work-life balance, valuing your employees through authentic leadership and ethical,

moral decisions regarding their well-being, you will increase your business’ success by

improving company morale, instilling loyalty, creating a team environment and opening up the

channels of communication.

In an ever-changing business world, innovation is the key to success. In order to launch

your organization into the future, it is critical to examine the needs of your employees and instill

best practices to ensure that they maintain a healthy work-life balance. This will keep them from

feeling burnt out or depleted. Additionally, open communication will occur when employees

feel valued and heard and management establishes trustworthy and honest relationships with

their workforce that encourages a positive team environment and work culture where employees

are viewed as individuals. Open communication is an inevitable result of happy employees, and,

in turn, this will lead to higher productivity and greater success.

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References

Bloom, N., Kretschmer, T., & Reenen, J. V. (2009). Work-Life Balance, Management Practices,

and Productivity. International Differences in the Business Practices and Productivity of

Firms, 15–54. doi: 10.7208/chicago/9780226261959.003.0002

Braun, S., & Peus, C. (2016). Crossover of Work–Life Balance Perceptions: Does Authentic

Leadership Matter? Journal of Business Ethics, 149(4), 875–893. doi: 10.1007/s10551-

016-3078-x

Harrison, E. B., & Mühlberg Judith. (2014). Leadership communication: how leaders

communicate and how communicators lead in today’s global enterprise. New York, New

York (222 East 46th Street, New York, NY 10017): Business Expert Press.

Jackson, L. T., & Fransman, E. I. (2018). Flexi work, financial well-being, work–life balance and

their effects on subjective experiences of productivity and job satisfaction of females in

an institution of higher learning. South African Journal of Economic and Management

Sciences, 21(1), 1–13. doi: 10.4102/sajems.v21i1.1487

Jayakar, T. J. R., & Babu, S. S. (2012). Professional Communication for Better Work-Life

Balance. Journal of Education and Practice, 3(6).

Jiang, H., & Men, R. L. (2016). Creating an Engaged Workforce. Communication Research,

44(2), 225–243. doi: 10.1177/0093650215613137