One of the fundamental aspects of success, both as individuals and as leaders, lies in our ability to connect with the right people in the best possible way to achieve the results we seek. This concept is beautifully explained by one of my coaching mentors, Laura Bicondoa, in her book Relación = Resultados: Una fórmula para la vida. She highlights how the quality of our relationships directly impacts the quality of our results.

In this article—the fourth installment in the Conversational Leadership series—I focus on how communication is an essential tool for building high-impact relationships that positively influence the achievement of our objectives. Communication is the most powerful tool to influence, motivate, and foster commitment within a team.

Every interaction, message, and conversation has an impact.

High-impact professional relationships are not built on commands or hierarchy, but on dialogues that create trust, clarity, and shared responsibility.

However, many leaders struggle with managing difficult conversations, avoiding misunderstandings, and ensuring their teams feel heard and valued.

To achieve this, it is essential to develop three key communication skills—which we have explored in previous articles but will now examine through their role in building strong and high-impact relationships:

• Assertiveness
• Effective Feedback
• Active Listening

1. Assertiveness as the Foundation of Leadership

Assertiveness is the ability to express ideas, needs, and expectations with clarity and respect. An assertive leader not only transmits information but also establishes healthy boundaries and fosters an open and honest communication environment.

What distinguishes an assertive leader?

• Speaks with clarity, avoiding ambiguity or indirect language.
• Expresses expectations based on facts and behaviors, rather than personal judgments.
• Uses a confident tone of voice and body language that aligns with the message.
• Focuses on finding solutions rather than placing blame.

How does assertive communication influence relationships?

• It fosters trust and mutual respect.

  • Transparent and unambiguous communication makes team members feel secure and clear about what is expected of them.
  • It prevents misunderstandings that can lead to conflicts or demotivation.

• It reduces resistance to change.

  • Assertive communication helps address difficult conversations with empathy, ensuring people do not feel attacked or undervalued.
  • It creates an environment where change can be discussed without fear.

• It enhances decision-making.

  • Precisely expressing needs and expectations aligns teams, optimizing time and resources.
  • Clearly defined agreements ensure that everyone understands their role within the strategy.

• It strengthens collaboration and commitment.

  • Leaders who practice assertive communication create a space where employees feel heard and valued.
  • This increases motivation, a sense of belonging, and commitment to team objectives.

Assertiveness is not about imposing or manipulating, but rather about communicating with confidence and respect to reach clear and productive agreements.

Strategies to Improve Assertive Communication

• Replace generalizations with specific facts.
• Use “I” statements to reduce defensiveness.
• Be direct but not aggressive.

2. Feedback That Inspires Action

As we explored in previous articles, effective feedback is the foundation of growth and continuous improvement. It is not just about pointing out mistakes or recognizing achievements, but about generating awareness and guiding performance enhancement.

One of the biggest mistakes in giving feedback is that it is often avoided or delivered ineffectively, leading to frustration or demotivation.

The key is to structure feedback strategically, ensuring it is integrated into daily interactions and ongoing performance evaluations in an organic way.

Principles of Strategic Feedback

• Make it timely and frequent. Do not wait for annual performance reviews; integrate feedback regularly to ensure it becomes a natural and effective development tool.
• Balance positive and corrective feedback. Entirely negative feedback is discouraging, while exclusively positive feedback can create complacency. The ideal approach is a balance between improvement-focused and recognition-focused feedback, always delivered with authenticity and sincerity.
• Focus on observable facts and behaviours. Avoid personal judgments or subjective interpretations. A good strategy is to think like a video camera—recording only what is seen and heard, without assumptions or opinions.
• Formulate specific requests instead of complaints. Feedback should include a clear action plan.

Effective Feedback Model

1. Inspire: Explain the purpose and importance of the behaviour.
2. Describe: Objectively state what was observed.
3. Impact: Show how it affects the team or results.
4. Call to Action: Propose a specific action to improve or reinforce the behaviour.

Feedback should always be a dialogue, not a monologue. Encourage the other person to reflect and actively participate in the solution.

Additionally, any corrective feedback should lead to a clear agreement to ensure follow-through.

3. Active Listening: The Art of Understanding Beyond Words

As we discussed in the previous article, the most common mistake in communication is listening to respond instead of listening to understand.

A leader who truly listens builds stronger relationships, anticipates problems, and fosters trust within the team.

Active listening is not just hearing words—it is understanding the full message, including context, emotions, and intent, through both verbal and nonverbal cues.

Essential Principles of Active Listening

• Give your full attention. Avoid distractions and focus on the person speaking.
• Observe body language and tone of voice. Often, what is not said is more important than the words themselves.
• Paraphrase and summarize to ensure understanding.
• Ask open-ended questions to deepen the conversation.
• Avoid interrupting or rushing the conversation.

How Does Active Listening Strengthen High-Impact Relationships?

• It builds trust and mutual respect.

  • When a leader listens actively, team members feel their opinions are valued, strengthening relationships.
  • It creates a psychologically safe environment where people can express ideas without fear of being ignored or misunderstood.

• It improves conflict resolution.

  • Active listening helps identify concerns before they escalate into major problems.
  • Demonstrating empathy and understanding reduces tension and makes finding solutions easier.

• It enhances collaboration and teamwork.

  • Teams that practice active listening work together more effectively.
  • Ensuring that all voices are heard fosters idea diversity and innovation.

• It aligns expectations and reduces misunderstandings.

  • Paying close attention prevents false assumptions and ensures that everyone understands the team’s objectives and needs.
  • This improves communication and makes agreements clearer and more effective.

• It increases engagement and motivation.

  • When a leader listens actively, team members feel valued and understood, increasing their commitment to the organization.
  • It strengthens the high-performance culture.

Practicing active listening daily helps detect potential issues before they become crises and reinforces trust within the team.

Final Reflection

• How does your communication style influence trust and openness in your professional relationships?
• When you give feedback, does it inspire clarity and motivation, or does it create confusion and resistance?
• Do you practice active listening to truly understand others, or do you just wait for your turn to speak?
• How do your colleagues and team members react to your conversations? Do they feel valued and aligned, or do you notice distance and misunderstandings?
• What adjustments can you make in your daily communication to strengthen trust, collaboration, and commitment in your professional environment?

A leader who communicates strategically not only improves their team’s results but also strengthens organizational culture and trust.

Are you ready to build high-impact relationships through communication?