Are You Being Heard?

Cathie Leimbach • October 16, 2023

Effective communication is the cornerstone of successful leadership, and it's equally important for a leader to ensure that their message is not just conveyed but also heard and understood by their employees. Here are some key indicators that a leader can look for to know if their message has been received:


1.    Active Listening: A leader can gauge an employee's engagement by observing their active listening skills. Are they making eye contact, nodding, or asking clarifying questions? These are signs that the message is being absorbed.


2.    Feedback and Questions: When employees ask questions or seek clarification, it indicates they are processing the information. Leaders should encourage such queries as they demonstrate an employee's genuine interest in understanding the message.


3.    Paraphrasing: Ask the employee to summarize the key points of the message in their own words. If they can, they have likely grasped the information correctly. If they can’t, it is important to further explain and/or demonstrate until their words or actions indicate they know what is expected.


4.    Body Language: Non-verbal cues such as facial expressions and posture can reveal much about an employee's comprehension. An engaged employee will exhibit open and receptive body language.


5.    Follow-Up Actions: Ultimately, an employee's actions speak louder than words. If they take appropriate actions in line with the communicated message, it's a clear indicator of understanding.



If the employee does not exhibit the above indicators of understanding and engagement they are unlikely to meet your expectations. To ensure that their message is understood, a leader must be attuned to these signs of effective communication, fostering a culture of clarity and productivity in the workplace. 

4 Leadership Behaviors That Drive Trust, Performance, and Accountability

By Cathie Leimbach • March 31, 2026
Most leaders don’t struggle because they lack knowledge. They struggle because leadership opportunities show up in daily conversations —and those moments are easy to miss. The difference between average and high-performing teams often comes down to four leadership behaviors: 1. Build Trust Through Everyday Conversations Trust is built in small moments. Listen to concerns Ask thoughtful questions Follow through Address issues quickly and respectfully 🤝 Trust grows through consistent, everyday conversations. 2. Reinforce What Good Looks Like People repeat what gets recognized. Be specific: “I appreciated how you handled that client issue quickly—that made a difference.” 🔒 Clarity + recognition = stronger performance. 3. Address Problems Early—Kindly and Clearly Avoiding issues creates bigger ones. Keep it simple: What was expected? What happened? What needs to change? 👥 Clear, timely conversations reduce drama and improve results. 4. Support People So They Can Succeed Your role is to help your team succeed. Clarify priorities Remove obstacles Provide resources Coach progress 🔍 When people have clarity and support, performance follows. The Real Lever: Conversations None of this requires new systems. It happens in everyday interactions— 1:1s, quick check-ins, and follow-ups. Better conversations → better results. Quick Reflection Which one would make the biggest difference for you right now? Build trust Reinforce performance Address problems early Support success 👉 Join our next 60-minute Leadership Conversation – Inspiring Employee Performance on Monday, April 6, at 3:00 pm ET. Not a webinar. A working session with other leaders looking at what’s actually happening on their teams—and how small shifts in daily conversations change performance fast. If you're curious what even a 10% shift in consistency could look like for your team… this is a good place to start.

Three Small Shifts That Change Everything

By Cathie Leimbach • March 24, 2026
You don’t need to make big changes in your leadership practices to get better results. Often, it’s small shifts in everyday leadership conversations that quietly change how work gets done. Here are three that work:  1. Make priorities clear Start meetings by stating current priorities. That creates focus right away and helps conversations stay on topic. 2. Ask instead of solve Instead of answering an employee’s questions, ask, “What are your suggestions?” Such questions encourage employee thinking and stronger follow-through. 3. Hold short monthly one-on-one check-ins Meeting with each employee one-on-one allows the regular review of goals, progress, and obstacles. These short conversations surface issues early and keep everyone aligned. These small habits keep teams steady and focused. Your challenge this month: Pick one shift and try it. Notice what changes in clarity, buy-in, or accountability. Sometimes the difference between teams that struggle and teams that move smoothly comes down to a few simple leadership conversations happening consistently. 👉 Join our 60-minute Leadership Conversation on March 30th at 3:00 PM to see how small shifts in everyday leadership conversations can quickly improve clarity, ownership, and results.