Whether oral or digital, verbal or nonverbal, communication is a fundamental part of our nine-to-five. And while it may seem like a no-brainer, there’s far more to communication in the workplace than meets the eye, and understanding its nuances can make or break a given situation. It’s one thing to communicate Q1 plans to the team; it’s a whole other ballgame to communicate skillfully enough to get their buy-in.
And the importance of effective communication isn’t limited to coworkers and conference tables. From the right coffee order to our most intimate relationships, our words and how we wield them can affect every aspect of our lives, day in and day out. Whether it’s mastering the art of conversation or simply knowing how to express ideas or information clearly, communication is critical in our daily lives.
Effective communication is so vital that the greatest leaders of our time have spoken on the topic. Here are 37 of the best communication quotes to inspire and motivate you to relay your message with eloquence and clarity.
“Failure to Communicate” Quotes That Show Why It Matters
While poor communication can lead to many problems, failure to communicate can be even more detrimental. No team can be expected to succeed without a clear vision of their goals. Everyone needs a roadmap, so here are some good communication quotes to get your wheels turning.
- “The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter—’tis the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.” —Mark Twain
- “The kinds of errors that cause plane crashes are invariably errors of teamwork and communication.” —Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers: The Story of Success
- “You can’t be heard if you’re not communicating.” —Gary Vaynerchuk
- “Communication works for those who work at it.” —John Powell
Related: 11 Inspiring Leadership Quotes That Will Push You to Be Better
Communication Is Key: Quotes On The Importance Of Good Communication
We all know that good communication is key to improved productivity. What you may not realize is that conveying your points clearly and meaningfully can also help solve problems, build relationships and enhance company culture. These “communication is key” quotes help demonstrate just how critical this skill can be.
- “The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn’t being said.” —Peter Drucker
- “In the last analysis, what we are communicates far more eloquently than anything we say or do. We all know it. There are people we trust absolutely because we know their character.” —Stephen Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
- “Science may never come up with a better office communication system than the coffee break.” —Earl Wilson
- “Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee and just as hard to sleep after.” —Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Gift From the Sea
- “The ABCs are attitude, behavior, and communication skills.” —Gerald Chertavian
- “I remind myself every morning: Nothing I say this day will teach me anything. So if I’m going to learn, I must do it by listening.” —Larry King
Effective Communication Quotes For Work
Poor communication can have some very real consequences in the workplace, not the least of which are negative work environments, increased conflict, and high turnover. Your message should not only be delivered but also heard and understood. Use these effective communication quotes for work as inspiration to keep honing your skills.
- “We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.” —Epictetus
- “Speak when you are angry — and you’ll make the best speech you’ll ever regret.” —Laurence Peters
- “Communication is not about saying what we think. Communication is about ensuring others hear what we mean.” —Simon Sinek
- “Silence is a form of communication, too. Sometimes less is more.” —Pat Summitt
- “Effective communication starts with listening.” —Simon Sinek
- “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” —George Bernard Shaw
- “Effective communication is 20% what you know and 80% how you feel about what you know.” —Jim Rohn
- The art of effective listening is essential to clear communication, and clear communication is necessary to management success. —James Cash Penney
- “Communication is a skill that you can learn. It’s like riding a bicycle or typing. If you’re willing to work at it, you can rapidly improve the quality of every part of your life.” —Brian Tracy
Related: 12 Must-Read Books to Boost Your Communication Skills
Famous Inspirational Quotes On Communication
Communication is such a powerful tool that the greatest leaders, thinkers, and speakers, from Dale Carnegie to Tony Robbins, have weighed in on the matter, and their famous quotes about communication still inspire us today.
- “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” —Albert Einstein
- “The way we communicate with others and ourselves ultimately determines the quality of our lives.” —Tony Robbins
- “Pay less attention to what men say. Just watch what they do.” —Dale Carnegie, How To Win Friends and Influence People
- “People may hear your words, but they feel your attitude.” —John C. Maxwell
Leadership Communication Quotes to Help You Be Your Best
When it comes to communication, every leader has skin in the game. If you really want to know how well you communicate, take the pulse on workplace culture and customer relationships.
- “The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood. The best way to understand people is to listen to them.” —Ralph G. Nichols
- “The two words information and communication are often used interchangeably, but they signify quite different things. Information is giving out; communication is getting through.” —Sydney Harris
- “You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can’t get them across, your ideas won’t get you anywhere.” —Lee Iacocca
- “Communication is the real work of leadership.” —Nitin Nohria
- “Say what you mean, and mean what you say.” —George S. Patton
- “Being able to effectively communicate is the most important skill any leader can possess.” —Richard Branson
- “If you care about being thought credible and intelligent, do not use complex language where simpler language will do.” —Daniel Kahneman, Thinking, Fast and Slow
- “The art of communication is the language of leadership.” —James Humes
- “Asking a deep question should feel like sharing. It should feel, a bit, like we’re revealing something about ourselves when we ask a deep question. This feeling might give us pause. But studies show people are nearly always happy to have been asked, and to have answered, a deep question.” —Charles Duhigg, Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection
Motivational Quotes On Communication And Teamwork
Being a leader means you have to rally the troops—regularly. Here are a few inspirational quotes about communication to help you inspire the masses.
- “A person’s success in life can usually be measured by the number of uncomfortable conversations they are willing to have.” —Timothy Ferriss
- “Think like a wise [person] but communicate in the language of the people.” —William Butler Yeats
- “Most of the successful people I’ve known are the ones who do more listening than talking.” —Bernard Baruch
- “If we are to succeed, we must communicate.” —Bob Johnson
- “In teamwork, silence isn’t golden; it’s deadly.” —Mark Sanborn
Inspirational Quotes About Communication Can Help You Improve
Communication is far more than firing off a few emails and leading the weekly Zoom call. It’s how you interact with your team, how you deliver the message and how it’s received. If you want to inspire a good team to do more and be more, effective communication is key.
Whether it’s workplace-related quotes that touch upon ways to be more effective in our jobs or quotes that remind us how much communication matters in all areas of life, powerful messages like these can give us wisdom. Inspiring and motivating words can help propel us to do better when it comes to expressing ourselves or getting a message across. Learning what good communication looks like, taking cues from super communicators and continuing to learn and grow in this area can have a positive impact on all of our interactions and relationships.
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