Communicate With Influence: Habits Leaders Can Leave Behind In 2025 Noise is the hidden villain of leadership in 2025, clouding clarity, eroding trust, and fueling burnout, fear, and ineffective communication.

Noise. This is the villain inside every leader's story in 2025. Whether it's external noise surrounding political uncertainty and economic volatility, or the disruption of AI, this leaks into a leader's internal world, creating noise that sparks feelings of burnout, overwhelm and fear. The associated manifestation? A leader whose communication lacks presence, clarity and impact. Here are 3 communication habits every leader needs to leave behind in 2025, if they want to grow their influence in 2026.

A lack of congruence

Being in integrity with your word not only builds trust with your team, but it also builds trust with yourself. For example, let's say you promised your team full transparency over next year's marketing strategy by close of business Monday. By Tuesday morning, not only have they not heard a word from you, but you've swiftly moved onto chasing the next shiny object that needs your attention in the hope that nobody notices. Not only have you broken a promise to others, but you've broken a promise to yourself. The result? A widening crack in your internal confidence and an external trust deficit that can't be masked. The solution lies in closing the congruence gap by not just doing what you say you'll do, but by owning your truth when you do fall short and renegotiating your commitments like a conscious leader.

Asking superficial questions

Surface-level questions lead to surface-level relationships. When you ask meaningful questions and uncover what truly matters to your team in this season of their life, you'll unlock their core motivations and inspire change. For example, instead of leading with, "What do you need to do to hit your goals?" when a team member is falling short of their target, you could ask, "Why is hitting your goals important to you?" Or "If you don't hit your goals, what will it cost you personally?" Questions like these pave the way for a meaningful conversation that goes beneath the surface. When you connect one's internal desires to their external business goals, you give them true meaning and inspire action.

Not making others feel seen

According to Professor Norihiro Sadato, the study lead and professor at the National Institute for Physiological Sciences in Japan, when we receive a compliment, it activates the same part of our brain (the striatum) that lights up when we receive a financial reward. Not only does giving a meaningful compliment build trust, but it also makes others feel deeply seen. For example, a throwaway comment like "Annie, great pitch today" lacks depth and intimacy. If a team member has done something noteworthy, acknowledge them in public in an authentic, specific and impactful way. For example, "Annie, that was the most impactful pitch I've seen you deliver. That story you shared in the first few minutes about struggling with imposter syndrome early on in your career, and how you tied it back to the problem we solve with our product, was masterful! Your pitch has inspired me to use more personal stories in my own presentations. Thank you for that." Do this right, and with intention, you'll build trust and reinforce similar behaviour at scale.

In the noisy world we live in today, it can be easy to make these 3 common mistakes. However, when you drown out the noise, find presence and operate with intention, your communication will tell others a story you're proud of. Remember, whilst quick tips and strategies have their place, true change begins with going inward and asking yourself the difficult questions. For example, "Where in 2025 have I been out of integrity with the type of leader I aspire to be?" Reflect on this question with intention and re-establish integrity for 2026. That's how you'll become the type of leader that others want to follow next year and beyond.