Leading with the 7 C’s of Communication: Practical Strategies for Today’s Leaders

Effective communication is the foundation of strong leadership. Embrace the seven C's: Concise, Complete, Coherent, Clear, Courteous, Concrete, and Correct.

Picture a team united by a common goal, each member clear on their role. Leaders use these principles to articulate vision, align expectations, and inspire action. The 7 C's boost collaboration and establish leaders as valued communicators.

Why It’s Important

1. Drives Alignment: Clear and coherent messages ensure that every team member understands goals and priorities, reducing confusion and wasted effort.

2. Builds Credibility: When leaders communicate effectively and concretely, backed by facts and specific examples, they earn trust and authority.

3. Courteous, considerate interactions encourage an inclusive culture where people feel respected and heard.

How You Can Use It

1. Concise

   As a leader, avoid slang and filler. Define your main message clearly- or risk losing attention.

   A concise instruction, like “Submit Q4 forecasts by Friday, 5 pm,” respects time and drives clarity.

2. Complete

   Ensure your team has all necessary context - deadlines, names, tools, and goals - so nothing gets lost.

   Accuracy builds credibility and helps avoid misunderstandings.

3. Coherent

   Structure your messages in logical order. Begin with purpose, progress through details, and finish with a clear call to action. Use bullet points for clarity.

   That coherence enables your team to follow and retain information better.

4. Clear

   Avoid jargon and acronyms with new team members.

   Say “Check the customer database for qualified leads” instead of “Check the CRM for MQLs.

5. Courteous

   Respect your team’s time, opinions, and backgrounds. Use inclusive language and a positive tone.

   Showing empathy invites open dialogue and strengthens morale.

6. Concrete

   Give concrete examples. Instead of “improve sales”, say “increase average order value by 10% in Q3”.

   Specificity motivates action and measures progress.

7. Correct

   Check facts - dates, data, names - before sharing. Errors undermine confidence and waste effort.

   Leaders who communicate correctly inspire trust.
   
   Each principle helps leaders craft verbal, written, and visual communications that resonate and drive action.

Tips and Tricks for Practical Application

1. Master the 2-Minute Check: Before hitting “send” on an email, pause to ensure it’s concise, complete, and correct. Remove any non-essential words or outdated details.

2. Apply coherence by framing updates as a narrative: start with the challenge, explain solutions, and end with next steps. This keeps audiences engaged and aligned.

3. Leverage “I” and “You” Statements: Boost courtesy by focusing on mutual respect - e.g., “I value your input; how do you see this working?” - to invite collaboration.

4. Embed Metrics in Goals: Make objectives concrete by attaching numbers - “Increase customer satisfaction by 10%” - so teams know exactly what success looks like.

5. Schedule “Proofread Breaks”: Allocate dedicated time after drafting key documents to review for correctness - grammar, data accuracy, and tone - before sharing.

6. Host Feedback Rituals: Encourage courteous exchanges by building feedback loops - regularly invite input and acknowledge contributions to maintain a respectful and balanced dialogue.

Why Bother?

Utilising the 7 C’s in your leadership encourages clarity, trust, and enhanced performance.

Your messages become more actionable and engaging. Strong communication isn’t just about what you say - it’s about inspiring action. Try focusing on one C in your next meeting and note the difference.