This insights post is a summary of the blog post published by Alurralde Jasper + Asoc.. View the full insight at: Communication coaching for leaders: prepare without sounding robotic, inspire without overacting.
Leaders face a communication paradox: they have more opportunities to speak than ever, but less time for each interaction. In those brief moments—whether in meetings, panels, or town halls—they need to make real impact, not just “get by.” Yet traditional preparation methods often lead to robotic delivery, while winging it rarely leaves a lasting mark.
Beyond Scripts and Improvisation
Effective communication requires meeting three key criteria: be brief, be understood, and elicit behavior. Words to lead to action—whether that’s joining a project, investing, buying, or changing minds. Stories unite these criteria by combining data with emotions, and that combination is essential because communication that doesn’t move people simply doesn’t work.
The problem with traditional preparation is twofold. Responsible leaders invest enormous time creating briefing documents, key messages, and Q&As, then try to memorize it all. But reciting key messages like a robot creates no real connection. On the other hand, relying solely on expertise usually results in messages that leave no mark.
A Different Approach: Internal Structures, Not Fixed Scripts
What leaders need is preparation that leaves room for authenticity, adaptation, and real connection. Think of a professional tennis player entering the court. They’re not thinking about how to serve—those fundamentals are internalized. Instead, they’re reading the game and interpreting their opponent to play their best based on what’s actually happening, not what they imagined would happen.
Leadership communication works the same way. Effective coaching helps leaders develop foundational narratives ready to be adapted to different audiences and contexts, combined with trained physical presence—breathing, body language, gaze, voice—that brings messages to life. Leaders should know their territory of discourse and navigate it with both calm and enthusiasm, neither bored of repeating content nor improvising recklessly. They should take calculated risks that draw audiences in like a magnet.
The Value of Real Feedback
What sets effective communication coaching apart is providing real feedback—not just “good” or “weak,” but specific instructions that help leaders adjust and learn to see themselves accurately. Trying to improve without proper coaching is like shooting at a target blindfolded. Real progress comes when someone tells you exactly what to change: “raise your elbow, pull your arm back further.”
Generic advice that works for any speaker isn’t enough. Leaders need guidance tailored to who they are and what they’re trying to accomplish—coaching that helps them continue to be themselves while communicating radically better.
Get more insights on developing the skills to create authentic connections at: Communication coaching for leaders: prepare without sounding robotic, inspire without overacting.
