25.03.2026
Three communication superpowers that transform good teams into great ones
Imagine spending three days at a leadership training program. You come back energized. You have learned about situational leadership and active listening. You have a head full of ideas and a real drive to do things differently. Then your manager glances up from their screen and says: "Yeah, yeah, but you've been away. Get back to work now."
The energy drains out of you in seconds, right?
That moment happened to me a long time ago when I was employed at a global company. And I have seen versions of it play out in organizations across industries and continents. An overstressed leader who fails to acknowledge, listen to, or engage will soon erode (or delete) the very motivation they need from their people. The reverse is also true. Leaders who master a few key communication behaviors can transform a team from average to exceptional.
This is not about being a polished speaker. It is about three specific superpowers: empathy, clarity, and energy. Together, they form the engine of high performance.
Communication drives behavior, which drives results
Before we explore the three superpowers, let us establish the foundation. Everything that happens in an organization starts with communication. A strategy document sitting on a server, changes nothing. Not even a pulse measurement will do it. A conversation that makes someone feel seen and helps them find a clear direction, changes everything.
The model is simple: communication drives behavior, which drives results. If your profit, for instance, is not where you want it to be, chances are you have a communication problem, and not a numbers problem. Start by listening to how people talk to each other. The way we meet, greet, and treat each other will directly affect how well we serve clients.
This means communication is not a soft skill. It is the core operational skill of any leader. The skill that changes behavior, and ultimately, the result.
Most leaders I coach want to focus on clarity. But clarity depends on another superpower, and that’s what I will focus on in this article:
Empathy, the number 1 superpower
Empathy is the ability to genuinely understand another person's perspective and emotional reality. Not to fix it, not to dismiss it, and not to rush past it. Just to understand it. Add compassion, and you have a person or organization that truly cares. Here is an example: A real estate company came to me and said, “We have a problem. Our tenants don’t like us. They always complain. Can you come and help us?” Later that month, we spent a day working on one of the three superpowers, namely Empathy. I got an email five weeks later. The gist of it was this: “Antoni, I wanted you to know that our tenants like us now! All we do is listen better. And the really cool thing is: We like them too!!”
What about good news? Can you lift people up or dampen the mood?
Shelly Gable, professor of psychology at the University of California, has studied what she calls active constructive responding. Her research shows that how a leader responds to good news is as important as how they respond to bad news. When someone shares an achievement or an idea with genuine excitement, the response that builds trust and motivation is an engaged, curious, enthusiastic reply that signals: I am present, and what you have done matters. A nod is not enough, not to mention a sarcastic remark or a “That was nothing, you should have seen me when I…”
Most leaders are trained to manage problems. They respond constructively to crises. But Gable's research reveals that it is the response to positive events, the moments of success and progress, where relationships are built up or broken down.
The manager who told me to "get back to work" after three days of learning responded to her problem, i.e., me being away instead of celebrating a great moment.
Empathy does not mean agreeing. It means acknowledging. And acknowledgment costs nothing.
For HR leaders and people managers, the practical application is direct: when someone on your team brings you an idea, a result, or a story with energy, then be present. Ask a question. Show curiosity. Smile with them. This kind of communication is one of the most powerful tools for retention and engagement.
Empathy is a trainable skill. So, train them.
Empathy builds psychological safety, allowing people to bring their full thinking to work. And unless you are a real psychopath, you can train your empathy by working on your mindset, learning how to ask questions, and listen, not to respond but to understand. Here is where HR can play a huge role by upskilling managers. You don’t want to run training programs in isolation and then watch people return to a manager who says, “Yeah, yeah, get back to work.
The three superpowers are not a magic formula. They are a daily practice. And the organizations that treat them as such tend to be the ones that surprise everyone else.
Antoni Lacinai, Leadership Communication Expert
Antoni Lacinai is a global keynote speaker, author of 14 business books, and leadership communication expert. He works with leaders worldwide on communication, engagement, and performance. More at antonilacinai.com