Email is Still Here... and is a Powerful Leadership Communication Tool

Introduction

Everyone hates email. Everyone loves predicting its demise. A few quick examples:

In 2011, Adam Sherwin, writing in the UK’s Independent, speculated that young workers disliked email and progressive companies would eliminate it entirely.

In 2014, Marc Leiser wrote that, “Email has simply lost its value and is actually having a negative effect. It is declining, thanks to new tools that we use to communicate with each other in place of the email.”  His article was a confident prediction of the coming death of email.

In 2015, Inc. contributing editor John Brandon predicted that by 2020 it would be replaced by another messaging channel. 

So the end is near for email, right? Actually, no—quite the opposite. Statista's data, illustrated in the chart below, reveals that email usage is on the rise. We’re sending billions of emails daily, and the importance of effective email communication in the workplace is growing stronger than ever.

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What does this mean for us? Simply that email is here to stay. To lead effectively and connect with your audience, mastering email communication is essential. 

Here’s how you can intentionally use email to write as a leader. 

First: Begin with Intention. 

The practice of leadership communication begins with clarity of purpose, which is then followed by clarity of thought. This means you must begin by asking yourself, “Who is my audience, and how do I want to influence or inspire them to act?” 

In our work with leaders and their teams, we rarely see this kind of intention put into email. Instead, emails are written as “stream of consciousness” messages that take the form of:

• “information dumps” (think of the content “brick” that the reader has to wade through to reach some sort of conclusion)
• “context deserts” (think of the email that requires you to read five prior emails just to understand what the situation is), or
• “memos masquerading as emails” (did you really need to put 1000 words in a message?). 

So be sure you know who your real audience is and how you want to move them to action before you draft your leadership email. 

Second: Include 3 Critical Components

At The Humphrey Group, we use a tool called the Leader’s Script to help clients organize their communication. Although we primarily apply it to oral presentations, it’s equally effective for crafting impactful emails that drive action. The Script consists of three key components that should be clearly included in your message: 

• The subject: What is this email about? You want to be as focused as possible without being overly narrow. For example, having “changes” as your subject would be too vague. A more focused, “changes to our operating model, and how they will impact you” would be more precise. The subject should appear in… the subject of your email message.
• The message: This is the most critical component of your email. The message is a statement of personal conviction and belief you want the audience to hear, and ultimately to adopt. For example, “I believe that though these changes will take time to implement, they will help us be more competitive in the marketplace.” If your message is too long-winded, too generic, or too negative, it won’t inspire. So make it a single focused idea you can get behind.
• The call to action: 

  In leadership communication, the ultimate goal is to inspire action. Therefore, every effective email should end with a well-crafted call to action. To be most effective, this call to action should be both concrete and time-stamped. This means it should clearly outline exactly what needs to be done and specify a deadline for when it should be completed.

  A concrete call to action might involve detailing the specific steps you, your team, or your company will take. For instance, you could state, "Our team will implement the new project management system by the end of the month," providing clarity on what will happen and by when.

  However, a call to action can also encourage your audience to take specific actions. For example, you might say, "Please submit your feedback on the new policy by Friday at 5 PM," which directs staff on what they need to do and when.

By having these components your email will be poised to engage and drive action.

Third: Flesh it Out (and be prepared to spend the time).

While the subject, message, and call to action are the three most important components of a leadership email, they aren’t the only ones.

To avoid a "context desert," begin with essential background information or facts to set the stage for your message. If you need to make a compelling case, include key points or bullet points to clarify your argument. For longer emails, recap the main message before transitioning to the call to action.

But whatever you do or don’t need to include, one thing is for sure: be prepared to spend far longer writing than you usually do. In a possibly apocryphal quotation, Mark Twain once sent a letter that started with, “I’m sorry for the long length of this letter, I didn’t have time to be brief.” While the quotation may or not be accurate, the point remains a profound one: it takes a long time to get to brevity. That’s because brevity reflects clarity of thinking.  

The good news is that writing with clarity is a skill. As you hone your ability to write to influence, you will become more effective and more efficient, and your email communication skills will improve with it.

In Conclusion

With rumors of email’s demise greatly exaggerated, leaders must be prepared to master this important communication channel if they wish to influence and inspire. And while not every email is worthy of the time and intention talked about in this post, for those that are you would be wise to begin with intention, organize your thinking, and then take the time to flesh it out. Do these things, and your audiences will thank you for the clarity you share with them.

Elevate ALL Your Leadership Skills

Having explored how to craft effective leadership emails, you now have the tools to enhance your written communication. But don’t stop there—apply these principles to all your professional interactions. Want to elevate your presentation skills as well? Check out our latest blog post on the top four presentation mistakes to avoid. By mastering both email communication and presentation skills, you’ll be well-equipped to make a significant impact. Let’s take your leadership skills to the next level together!