Leadership Communication Insights

Two recent commencement speeches provide a fascinating comparison. The leaders addressed different graduating classes, but both spoke about the same highly charged subject: artificial intelligence. One opening generated curiosity and applause. The other produced boos and visible resistance. The difference was not simply the leaders’ positions on AI. It was how each leader invited the audience into the conversation.

After severe storms tore through Northwest Indiana on August 11, thousands of Gary residents remained without power for nearly two weeks. Families lost food, businesses lost income, schools closed, and vulnerable residents struggled to keep medications and medical equipment working. At one point, more than 20,000 customers in Gary were still waiting for electricity to be restored. The communication also failed.

In leadership communication, empathy is not always expressed by saying, “I understand how you feel.” Sometimes it is expressed through a story that proves you understand why people behave as they do. That is what effective leadership storytelling does. It takes an issue that people may struggle to understand intellectually and gives them a human experience they can feel emotionally. Read the full Leadership Analysis

Kempczinski described the burger as “so good,” yet his tentative bite, restrained expression, stiff delivery, and repeated use of the word “product” communicated something very different. Viewers did not see someone enjoying a burger. They saw a corporate executive completing a promotional assignment. That may not have been what he felt—but through the lens, perception becomes the message.

In 2025, Cracker Barrel introduced a modernized visual identity that removed the familiar “Old Timer” figure from its logo. The response from loyal customers was immediate and intense. Within days, the company reversed course, publicly declaring, “We said we would listen, and we have.” The original logo remained. Associated Press coverage of the reversal From a design perspective, executives may have viewed the change as modernization. Many customers experienced it as some