Communication is often described as the transfer of information. But in leadership, it is far more than that. It is the mechanism that holds alignment together... or lets it fall apart.

A moment in the Californian desert I once experienced, captured this.

 

The Scenario

Night patrol. 30 men. Moving towards an enemy target on Night Viewing Goggles (NVGs).

The point man signalled everyone to stop... entirely normal.

As Troop Sergeant, I was positioned at the back. This senior role in the formation allowed me to observe the whole patrol, to anticipate early and deploy supporting elements to the teams up front.

From that vantage point, I noticed something the point man couldn't; Marines beginning to kneel awkwardly, shifting uneasily and scanning the ground with their NVGs instead of the horizon.

The patrol's behaviour was telling me a message was being relayed and it was unsettling everyone in it.

The Marine in front of me leaned in and whispered with urgency:

“There are rattlesnakes everywhere!”

He continued to scan the ground, convinced the danger was immediate.

I had deployed to this desert several times over the years and seeing even a single rattlesnake was rare.

So I moved forward, stopping beside the point man, knelt down and asked quietly:

“What was the message?”

He pointed out into the darkness and replied calmly:

“Rattlesnake heard... 50 metres to our right.”

One snake. Heard, not seen. Far away. Not a threat. Not even worth stopping for.

Between the front and the back, the message had changed shape completely.

The point man hadn't realised... his attention was on what lay ahead. Those behind him accepted the message without confirming it. In organisations, misalignment spreads when both senders and receivers stop verifying.

 

The Leadership Truth

Alignment doesn't maintain itself... the team maintains it. Leaders create the environment, but everyone protects the message.

If clarity slips:

  • Emotion distorts
  • Assumptions multiply
  • Teams diverge

The Marines were preparing for a threat that didn't exist, all because the message shifted unchecked.

This happens in companies every day.

 

Where Organisations Go Wrong

1. Leaders assume their message is being passed on accurately

But the original intent often disappears within minutes.

2. Teams act on interpretation, not instruction

People don't respond to what you said... they respond to what they heard.

3. Misalignment compounds as it moves

Your senior people at the front are focused on direction, delivery and what's ahead.

But that also means two other responsibilities must exist:

  • The leader must check what message actually reached the rest of the team.
  • The team must question the message if something feels unclear or inconsistent.

Misalignment doesn't happen because one person makes a mistake. It happens when no one in the chain pauses to verify.

 

High-performing teams share communication discipline:

  • The sender ensures clarity
  • The receiver checks understanding
  • The leader ensures alignment

Not micromanagement, just shared responsibility.

 

ETHOS Framework: A Deeper Leadership Application

The ETHOS model offers multiple layers of discipline to prevent message failure.

 

E — Explore

A leader must seek the actual source of a message, not rely on the filtered version. In business, it means:

  • Asking clarifying questions
  • Checking context before reacting
  • Validating assumptions

Exploration stops leaders from acting on incorrect information.

 

T — Translate

Meaning must be converted into actionable clarity. Most message failures happen in the translation phase.

Translation requires leaders to:

  • Strip emotion from information
  • Clarify what is relevant
  • Communicate the intent clearly

A message only has value if everyone understands it in the same way.

 

H — Harmonise

Teams can only move coherently when their understanding is aligned.

Harmonisation involves:

  • Ensuring the message lands with the same understanding across the group
  • Repeating key points consistently and without ambiguity
  • Correcting drift early

Harmonisation is how leaders prevent a single altered message from pulling the whole group off course.

 

O — Own

Ownership is the leader's role in ensuring clarity, not controlling every detail of communication. It means taking responsibility for how well the message is understood, not simply how it was delivered.

Owning communication means:

  • Making sure intent is understood at every level, not just stated at the top
  • Creating space for people to question, clarify and confirm meaning
  • Reducing noise, emotion and personal interpretation that can distort direction

Ownership is about holding the standard for clarity or teams will fill the gaps themselves.

 

S — Sustain

Communication discipline must be built into the culture, not improvised.

Sustainment requires:

  • Systems that support clarity
  • Rules around communication channels
  • Constant reinforcement of what “right” communication looks like

Sustained communication discipline becomes part of organisational identity.

 

Final Thought

Alignment collapses the moment a message is allowed to shift unchecked. A leader has to protect it... or the team will act on a version of the truth that never existed.