In his book “The PATH to Strategic Impact” Michael Gerharz shares a pragmatic tool leaders can use to develop an effective strategy communication.

Michael describes it as four principles that, when implemented, become a powerful decision-making tool for all those involved. The acronym PATH names the four principles as P—Plain and Simple, A—Actionable, T—Transformative, and H—Heartfelt.

Their implementation can be seen from a checklist point of view allowing those involved to evaluate if the strategy communication aligns with the four principles. It is how one can use them to find a starting point allowing one to investigate one’s communication whenever it doesn’t appear to have been as effective as hoped.

One can also look at these four principles as providing a lens allowing one to review the execution of the strategy from a point of view of communication. However, what is being evaluated in such a case is also the execution of the strategy. In this case, from the meaning-making, every person who is involved in the communication and its execution does and how it impacts that execution of the strategy.

This might be when it becomes a bit challenging, as what the strategy communication is also there to impact is the individual attitude of all those involved. It naturally is an important contributor to the execution of the strategy but also to the individual meaning-making.

Communication never is a one-way street. It involves those on the sending end as well as those on the receiving end. The use of our capacity to communicate depends on the willingness of those involved to also question their understanding of the communication they received and shared. It comes with a willingness to stay focused on the task as initially understood and to explore how aligned the ongoing meaning-making is with the initial intention or the strategy itself.

But, what Michael does with his book is to put the attitude of those involved on hold and pull it out of the evaluation. He gives the responsibility to the leader to develop an effective strategy communication. In doing so, he invites the reader to consider that the leader can, through his role modeling of effective strategy communication, invite others to develop a similar attitude.

Someone has to start. Someone has to be a role model.

It’s easier to do so with a framework. Having one is a great starting point.

But, it will not work if one relies on the method to do it all. That is if one assumes that it’s only about a method.

It’s not about the words that are being said. It’s about the way they relate to what is being done.

That is where great leaders start doing the work only, they can do, that is to understand how their contribution can be an important part of the communication puzzle.

Leaders create a space where the outcome takes care of itself.

Great leaders find ways to align it with a vision that is being shared.