Overcoming the Communication Paradox: What Women Leaders Need to Know

Insights from Dara Cothran, EVP, Global Strategy + Insights 

The old adage, “It’s not what you say, but how you say it,” is truer today than ever—especially through the lens of leadership, with gender playing a pivotal role in perception. 

Research from KWT Global’s inaugural Resonance Report, which surveyed senior business executives on external communications, revealed that women and men have different takes on what it means to be a good communicator. And amid the different expectations placed on female leaders, recently amplified by the nuances of the “founder mode” debate, we also found that women are more likely than men to feel that they need to have separate work and personal personas. 

Diving into the gender differences in our data, we noticed interesting themes across three areas of communication: authenticity, clarity and consistency. Coupling our findings with our decades of experience working with executives, some powerful takeaways for women leaders and communicators came to light. 

Communicating authentically 

In an era of decreasing consumer trust (and increasing fatigue of cliches), authentic communication styles can help messages resonate more strongly with key audiences. 

Our survey revealed that 68% of women—compared to 52% of men—think that being authentic in tone makes someone a better communication. This gap indicates the increased value that women place on sincerity and honesty in how information is conveyed—a trend in tandem with shifts we’ve seen across social media—from high production value content to more lo-fi methods; from aspirational messages to more relatable ones. 

Interestingly, while women hold authenticity in higher regard, they may have a harder time putting it into practice, considering that 45% of women—compared to 40% of men—believe that their personal and business personas differ. To make matters trickier, a wealth of previous research points to the paradoxes that women leaders often face at work, such as expectations to be demanding yet caring or authoritative yet participative.  

It’s important to note that content doesn’t have to be revealing to authentically connect with audiences; personality is just as effectively conveyed by sharing observations and perspective on timely discourse or recurring questions. Ultimately, the most effective presence amplifies who an executive truly is (or strives to be) at work and as a human. This can entail a professional and approachable presence on social media, meetings or media engagements, using humor and emotion as appropriate and showing up as a whole person who encourages others to do the same.  

Communicating clearly 

For leaders and communicators, cutting through the noise today is a Herculean feat. Up against an endless barrage of competing content, every word counts for capturing attention and effecting change. 

We found that 82% of women prioritize clarity of a message, compared to 69% of men. Digging in further, we found that 62% of women prioritize realistic messages, compared to 54% of men. Together, these findings point to women having a greater appreciation for straightforward communication that does not leave room for uncertainty, which aligns with research indicating that women experience more doubt in the workplace due to factors such as imposter syndrome and communication barriers. 

In practice, clear communication can include cutting out jargon, buzzwords and fluff to get to the point with plain and inclusive language, while realistic messaging can entail setting objectives that are specific, measurable and attainable and sharing negative news with kind candor. 

Communicating consistently 

Telling a consistent story is often considered a tenet of communication, but in a fast-changing business landscape, pivots can sometimes be necessary. 

We found that men value consistency in message more than women, with 66% listing it as a top priority, compared to 57% of women. This shows that women may be more open-minded in this context, while men may be more laser-focused on repetition; other research supports this, showing that men often prefer maintaining established communication patterns, whereas women tend to be more receptive to new information. 

However, it’s possible to communicate consistently and leave room for change and nuance. One proven practice is to follow content and communications strategies that are iterative while always laddering back to foundational values. 

The path to resonance 

Navigating the nuances of communication today can be tricky, but these insights can help leaders better understand themselves and their audiences. 

Our work with hundreds of senior leaders over the years led us to develop our xVoiceSM offering, which helps executives discern where and how to earn influence with their audiences by creating a strategy that understands the executive as a person and a leader. 

The resulting support from KWT gives executives permission to harness who they are as a guiding principle in their strategy, instilling confidence and equipping them to show up successfully no matter the channel, audience or circumstance, with many women leaders saying that the process gave them the confidence to embrace themselves in a professional role. 

To learn more about xVoice, please visit https://www.kwtglobal.com/research or contact us at xVoice@kwtglobal.com