You Can’t Lead Well If You Don’t Communicate Well

By Dr. Lauren Loyless-Bouabid, Founder of Bouabid & Co. Consulting

We talk a lot about leadership, how to motivate teams, navigate change, and create impact. Yet if we’re not talking about communication, we’re missing the foundation.

The reality is, leadership and communication are inseparable. And in today’s virtual and hybrid work environments, communication isn’t just important, it’s everything.

Through both my professional experience and doctoral research, I’ve seen how transformational leadership and communication intersect in virtual spaces. What I’ve found is simple, but often overlooked: leaders who communicate well, lead well.

Strong leadership in today’s world demands more than vision and ambition. It demands clarity, consistency, and the ability to build trust across a screen. Yet, communication is still too often viewed as a soft skill, something secondary or assumed. But transformational leadership, the kind that actually drives results and builds strong teams, begins with intentional communication.

My research examined how traditional elements of communication (oral, written, listening, and nonverbal) translate into virtual environments. What emerged is clear: written communication carries more weight in remote work than we often realize. Leaders who can express expectations, feedback, and encouragement through thoughtful and intentional writing are more effective at leading teams in digital spaces.

We also know that remote work introduces new challenges; lack of motivation, isolation, workflow confusion, misinterpretation. However, what many overlook is that these are communication problems at their core. And they require communication-based solutions.

For example:

• Addressing workflow confusion starts with how we share information and clarify expectations.

• Tackling isolation requires consistent engagement and intentional outreach.

• Improving motivation involves reconnecting individuals to purpose, not just productivity.

Leaders who are equipped with these tools, who recognize communication as a leadership skill, are better positioned to adapt, connect, and lead with influence.

At Bouabid & Co. Consulting, this is the heart of our work. We focus on helping professionals lead with clarity, communicate with purpose, and elevate their presence. We believe leadership is not just about direction, it’s about connection.

Leadership development in today’s workplace must include communication training. And that training must reflect the new realities we face. We are operating in a space where virtual team dynamics, asynchronous messaging, and digital collaboration tools are the norm. The leaders who thrive are the ones who understand that virtual leadership isn’t a temporary adjustment, it’s a core competency moving forward.

Whether you're leading in government, education, business, or community spaces, how you communicate matters more now than ever. It's what builds trust. It’s what keeps teams engaged. And it’s what sets great leaders apart.

If we want to build better organizations, stronger teams, and more capable leaders, we have to start by prioritizing communication, not as an afterthought, but as a strategic investment.

Let’s do the work. Let’s build what’s next.