Effective communications occurs when others understand exactly what you are trying to tell them and when you understand precisely what they are trying to tell you. You may communicate what you want orally, or in writing, through physical actions, or through a combination of all of these. You must recognize that you communicate standards by your example and by what behaviors you ignore, reward, and punish. The way you communicate in different situations is important. Your choice of words, tone of voice, and physical actions all combine to affect soldiers.
Leadership is more than setting the example and bravely leading a charge.
The ability to say the correct thing, at the appropriate moment and in the right way, is also an important part of leadership. In peacetime you must create the kinds of bonds that enable soldiers to follow you so that they will conduct themselves properly in combat. You must win their trust and confidence before, rather than after, combat has commenced. An important element is to convey the facts and requirements accurately without the added confusion of your personal bias. What and how you communicate either builds or harms the strength of the relationship between you and your soldiers.