Say Less, Mean More: Communication Lessons from a Poet

Ever feel like your message is getting lost in the noise?

You’re not imagining it. Today’s leaders are competing with overflowing inboxes, nonstop pings, back-to-back meetings—and an audience that’s drowning in information.

According to Grammarly’s 2024 State of Business Communication Report, knowledge workers now spend a staggering 88% of their week communicating across a growing maze of channels. From 2023 to 2024, communication volume jumped 78%, and the number of channels rose 73%.

That’s not just overload—it’s a flood. And for leaders trying to cut through the noise? It’s a whole new battlefield.

In 2025, one thing is clear: We don’t need more communication.

We need braver communication. Clearer communication. More human communication.

As I’ve been reflecting on the role of leadership in this moment—and what kind of messages actually cut through—I keep coming back to a conversation I had at last year’s ASAE Annual Meeting.

With someone who knows exactly how to use words that move people and moments: poet laureate, author, and activist Amanda Gorman.

Holly Ransom in conversation with poet Amanda Gorman discussing 3 powerful shifts for leadership communication in 2025
Holly Ransom in conversation with Amanda Gorman at ASAE 2024

Meet Amanda Gorman: A Voice for this Moment (and the Next One)

If you haven’t come across Amanda’s work, I encourage you to spend some time exploring her anthology. At just 22, she became the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history when she delivered “The Hill We Climb” at President Biden’s inauguration—a performance that became an instant cultural moment. 

People were frantically googling her words, sharing her performance, and suddenly everyone was talking about poetry. 

Amanda is also a bestselling author, Harvard graduate, and one of Gen Z’s most compelling voices. In an era where anyone can create content but few can create genuine connection, she’s a masterclass in communication that actually matters.

If you’ve never watched Amanda’s performance — or haven’t in a while — do yourself a favour and hit play below:

Why This Conversation Really Matters for Leaders in 2025

Before we dive into the lessons from Amanda, I want to briefly highlight why I believe this conversation about communication is so urgent right now.

1. Attention is scarce. Connection is scarcer.

We are living in the scroll era. The average person now spends 82 hours a week consuming content — news, emails, Slack messages, headlines, alerts. That’s nearly 70% of our waking lives. Most of us, if we’re being honest, flinch a little when our weekly screentime report pops up—and that’s just one device.

So what chance does your team update have? Or your strategy memo? It’s fighting for airtime against everything from cat videos to breaking news. If you want people to actually listen, care, or act, you need to break through that noise.

2. The leadership trust gap is real — and widening.

  • Only 30% of customers believe what executives say — while 90% of execs think they’re trusted (PwC, 2024).
  • Just 1 in 5 employees say they strongly trust their leaders (Gallup, 2024).
  • And 68% of people believe business leaders purposely mislead them (Edelman, 2025).

Add to this the World Economic Forum’s warning that misinformation and disinformation are now a top global risk, and the stakes are clear: people are skeptical, overwhelmed, and tuning out.

3. Communication is a performance driver

The 2024 State of Business Communication Report found that:

  • 64% of business leaders say effective communication boosts team productivity.
  • 58% of knowledge workers say it increases job satisfaction and improves relationships.
  • 51% say it improves customer satisfaction.

On the flip side, poor communication is costing us:

  • 40% report lost productivity
  • 37% face extended timelines
  • 32% say it drives up costs

And beyond the numbers, miscommunication creates friction, confusion, and anxiety. More than half of professionals say they spend too much time decoding messages—or stressing about whether they’ve been misunderstood.

So if you think communication is just about sending an update or nailing the all-hands? Think again.  It’s the connective tissue of leadership. And right now, it’s fraying.

3 Game-Changing Shifts for Leadership Communication in 2025

Inspired by a poet. Grounded in what your team actually needs from you in 2025.

1. Speak Honestly — Frame Hopefully

When I sat down with Amanda last year, the world already felt uncertain — and 2025 hasn’t exactly hit pause on the plot twists.

I asked Amanda how she’d describe this moment in time. She didn’t say chaotic or fractured— though all of those would’ve fit.

She said: “Transformative.”

She chose a word that acknowledged the difficulty and pointed to the possibility.

One that didn’t deny the storm — but suggested something stronger might be taking shape beneath it. 

That single choice speaks to a powerful leadership skill I’ve been thinking a lot about lately: How do we speak honestly about uncertainty, while still giving people something solid to hold onto?

Research shows that optimism protects against the worst effects of adversity. And the way we frame a message directly shapes how others respond. Our words don’t just describe the world. They shape the way people move through it.

We may not control the chaos—but we do control the language we use, and the meaning we help create.

Put it into practice: Name the Truth, and Then the Hope

Before your next message — big or small — pause and ask:

  • What’s the truth that people need to hear?
  • And what hope do they need to hold?

You don’t need to deliver certainty. But you do need to offer enough language for people to believe progress is still possible.

2. Lead with Authenticity, Not Perfection

“We connect more with authenticity than we do with perfection. Try to not manicure the aspects of yourself that make you you, but look at them as what they truly are — a superpower.”— Amanda Gorman

Before her inaugural performance, Amanda considered toning down her natural expressiveness. Should she sound more “formal”? Should she rein in her gestures?

Instead, she chose to embrace what made her her—hands, rhythm, voice, and all. And the world listened.

In a time when only 1 in 5 employees strongly trust their leaders, authenticity is a leadership advantage. No one is inspired by corporate speak. People don’t connect with perfection. They connect with presence.

Put it into practice: Lead With What Makes You, You

Before your next team call or update, ask:

  • What am I trying to “edit” about myself — and why?
  • What part of my personality or perspective could actually deepen this message if I let it show up?

Let your voice be your voice. Because connection doesn’t come from perfection. It comes from presence.

3. Cut the 10% That Doesn’t Serve

Amanda Gorman shared that one of her most valuable lessons in communication came from Michelle Obama’s speechwriter: always cut 10%.

“When we cut that 10%, typically we’re cutting the worst of ourselves — the rage, or the pride, or the ego that wants to shoot back. And we’re letting the 90%, which is the faith, and the humanity, and the love show up with more space.” — Amanda Gorman

Why? Because that 10% is often our reactivity: the sharp comment, the defensive tone, the instinct to prove a point instead of build a bridge.

When we strip that away, what remains is cleaner, clearer, kinder. Great storytellers know this instinctively. From Spielberg to Pixar, most of what’s created never makes the final cut. The magic is in the editing—and leadership communication is no different.

Especially in high-stakes moments—when tensions run high and the spotlight is on—you don’t need to shout louder.

You need to speak clearer. Kinder. Truer.

Put it into practice: Say Less, Connect More

Before you deliver your next message — written or spoken — ask yourself:

  • Is this about being right—or being heard?
  • What tone or phrase might be more heat than light?

Finally, after you’ve asked these two- what 10% doesn’t contribute to my purpose and the effectiveness of my message? 

Let the 10% go.
Let the 90% shine.

Because the heart of effective communication isn’t about domination or overload— it’s about choice and invitation.

Make Leadership Communication More Human: One Question to Ask Your Team

If you only do one thing after reading this, let it be this:

Ask your team:
“What’s one part of how we communicate — as a team or an organisation — that could be clearer, more human, or more useful?”

Then listen. Really listen.

You might hear something surprising. You might hear something you’ve suspected for a while. Either way — it’s gold. Because you’re not just opening the door to feedback — you’re sending a signal that clarity, care and connection matter here.

Leadership communication doesn’t have to mean grand speeches or perfect words. Sometimes, it’s about asking the right question — and being brave enough to hear the answer.

What’s one thing you could communicate with more intention and impact this week?