The Tension Between Accidental and Intentional Communication

In this episode of Leadership Limbo, Josh and John dive into one of the most foundational—and often overlooked—skills of leadership: communication. Picking up from their exploration of performance and management, they shift focus to the ways leaders communicate with their teams, their peers, and their managers.

The conversation unpacks a simple but powerful formula:

Communication = Transmission + Reception.

It’s not enough to just speak or listen—both have to work in tandem for true understanding.

Josh and John frame today’s tension as the gap between accidental communication and intentional communication. Too often, leaders over-invest in the intentional while overlooking how much influence their “accidental” moments - or overall lack of self-awareness and intentionality about their communication - can have on team trust, alignment, and culture.

Along the way, they share personal reflections on their own communication gaps—Josh’s tendency to over-talk as a verbal processor, John’s habit of letting facial expressions betray his thoughts—and highlight why building self-awareness is essential.

They also introduce practical tools, linked below:

• Blindspotting – A model for uncovering motives and tendencies that drive leadership behaviors.

• The Five Voices – A personality-based framework for understanding your natural communication style and how others receive it.

The big takeaway? Leaders need to narrow the gap between formal and informal communication by increasing self-awareness and choosing intentionality in both. Communication is the foundation of alignment, execution, and trust—and without it, even the best strategies fall flat.

Resources:

• Free 5 Voice Assessment and Report: Click Here
• Blindspotting: Click Here