How Speech Language Pathology Shapes Leadership Communication, Self Confidence, and Organizational Culture in Health Care
Effective communication and self confidence in health care leadership begin long before someone enters the workforce. This article breaks down how communication development, mindset, and evidence based practice shape leadership effectiveness and organizational culture across health care.
Strong leadership begins with strong communication. Yet most leadership trainings only focus on surface level skills such as presentation delivery, storytelling techniques, or executive presence. In reality, the roots of effective communication begin long before someone enters the workforce, and they run deeper than most leaders realize. Much of what makes communication effective stems from human development, early language patterns, and the way individuals learn to process and express relevant information throughout their lives.
In this episode of the All Things LOCS podcast, speech language pathologist and mindset communication specialist Renee Vee explains how communication patterns form in childhood and shape how adults lead, speak, listen, and interact. Her perspective is especially valuable for health care leaders, clinic owners, and managers who rely on clear communication to drive outcomes, staff engagement, and organizational culture. Her insights align with the preferred practice patterns seen across speech language pathology services, where understanding the person behind the communication is just as important as the message itself.
This blog breaks down the essential lessons from that conversation and explores how speech language pathology influences leadership, team performance, and self confidence across health care organizations.
Why Communication Is the Hidden Lever in Leadership and Culture
Communication is not simply talking. It is the foundation of alignment, trust, accountability, and effective health care operations. When leaders lack effective communication, the consequences are immediate:
Misinterpretation of responsibilities
Ineffective or unclear feedback
Lower staff engagement
Delayed clinical decisions
Reduced patient satisfaction
Operational breakdowns and lost revenue
As Renee states:
“Speech pathology is the field of studying communication and communication disorders.”
Understanding communication through this clinical lens helps leaders improve clarity, reduce misunderstandings, and strengthen the culture within their health care organizations. It also helps leaders appreciate the clinical implications of communication breakdowns and the value of evidence based practice in leadership development.
What Speech Language Pathology Really Is and Why Leaders Should Care
Many people assume speech language pathology only treats stuttering or articulation issues. In reality, it is a specialized field that analyzes the mechanics, behavior, and psychology behind effective communication. It involves a structured assessment process, ongoing self reflection, and the application of clinical knowledge to help individuals develop healthier communication patterns.
Renee explains:
“Before you become a CCC SLP, you are first a clinical fellow. Once you get all your hours, then you apply to be certified.”
This depth of training matters because health care leaders frequently communicate across high stakes environments. Their ability to explain ideas clearly, listen fully, and respond with precision directly affects patient care, staff morale, and organizational performance. Leaders who understand how speech language pathologists structure clinical services often better appreciate the complexity of communication development and the need for intentional practice.
Speech vs Language: The Foundation of Effective Communication in Health Care Leadership
Understanding the difference between speech and language helps explain why even highly skilled leaders sometimes struggle to communicate effectively.
Speech Skills That Influence Executive Presence
Speech refers to how we produce sounds. This includes:
Articulation
Fluency and stuttering
Voice quality
These skills shape how leaders present themselves during clinical meetings, staff trainings, and patient conversations. Even subtle changes in a leader’s communication style can alter how their message lands.
Language Skills That Shape Meetings, Feedback, and Coaching
Language is broader and includes:
Expressive language
Receptive language
Pragmatic language
Renee summarizes it well:
“Language is a culmination of receptive, expressive, and pragmatic.”
When health care professionals struggle with expressive, receptive, or pragmatic language, they may be mislabeled as unmotivated, passive, or difficult. In reality, the issue may be rooted in patterns formed long before adulthood. These patterns influence how leaders gather and synthesize relevant information, how they make clinical decisions, and how they interpret team dynamics.
This concept also speaks to the fact that what we say and how we say it greatly matter. For instance, the person who communicates a great message with a poor tone leaves the listener confused or defensive, demonstrating how communication style directly affects outcomes.
Early Intervention and the Long Term Workforce Impact in Health Care
Childhood communication challenges often resurface in adulthood, especially in professional environments that require clear and consistent communication. That is why early access to speech language pathology services and family centered support play a crucial role in long term communication outcomes.
Renee shares:
“She just was falling behind. She could not say her THs. Nothing huge, but I knew she needed a little push.”
Her advice reflects what health care leaders should do when communication issues appear on their teams:
“Go with your gut.”
How Childhood Communication Challenges Become Workplace Barriers
Adults who lacked early communication support often develop patterns such as:
Avoiding speaking up in meetings
Struggling to clearly express ideas
Social withdrawal or overcompensation
Difficulty processing instructions
Lower self confidence
Resistance to leadership roles
In health care, where clarity directly impacts safety and clinical outcomes, these challenges become operational concerns, not just personal ones. Leaders must recognize the clinical implications of communication difficulties and how these impact staff performance, patient experience, and organizational culture.
Transition to Adulthood: When Communication Gaps Hit the Health Care Workforce
Through her work with high school students, Renee sees how communication challenges affect employability and workplace readiness. These early patterns influence how individuals navigate onboarding, understand expectations, and engage in mentorship.
Students with IEPs receive transition services such as job preparation and functional communication training. Still, many enter the health care workforce without fully developed communication capabilities, which influences both their confidence and their ability to integrate into a collaborative team environment.
Renee explains:
“There are students who will be fine and others who will always need help. Then there is the middle group who struggle but can live independently and work.”
How Leaders Can Support Neurodivergent and Communication Diverse Team Members
Health care leaders can support these employees by offering:
Clear expectations
Structured communication frameworks
Opportunities for practice and rehearsal
Mindset coaching
Access to supportive specialists when needed
This approach reflects the same preferred practice patterns used in clinical treatment planning: gather relevant information, design interventions, and monitor progress.
Organizations that normalize communication development create safer, more productive environments and strengthen team performance.
Growth vs Fixed Mindset in Communication and Leadership
Mindset plays a major role in communication and self confidence. Renee describes two types:
“The two main ones I consider are growth and fixed.”
How Leaders Get Stuck in Fixed Communication Patterns
A fixed mindset sounds like:
“I cannot speak well.”
“I have always struggled with communication.”
“I am bad at public speaking.”
“This is just how I am.”
Building a Growth Mindset Around Speaking and Feedback
A growth mindset and communication approach reframes communication as a skill that can improve with practice. This mirrors the reflective processes used in evidence based practice, where providers continually engage in self reflection, apply new learning, and adjust strategies based on outcomes.
Renee emphasizes:
“Once you set your sights on wanting to not stutter you can have fluent speech. It is a decision to do the work.”
Leaders who adopt this mindset:
Build communication routines
Seek feedback
Practice courageous conversations
Adapt their communication style based on context
This mindset increases self confidence, emotional resilience, and leadership effectiveness.
Family Centered Health Care and What It Teaches Us About Leadership Culture
Parents in therapy and leaders in organizations often face similar challenges. Both must support growth without overwhelming the learner. Both must learn to interpret clinical implications and apply structured strategies.
Most people thrive when supported rather than pressured. Leaders who adopt the same relational approach used in clinical services build cultures of trust and empowerment.
Helping vs Harming Communication Growth Within Teams
As Renee explains:
“There is a fine line between helping and harming the therapeutic process.”
In a health care setting, this means:
Supporting communication development
Reducing fear of mistakes
Reinforcing practice opportunities
Encouraging progress over perfection
These principles mirror those used in therapy: understanding developmental needs, applying clinical knowledge, and adjusting approaches for best results.
Confidence, Mindset, and How People Show Up at Work
Confidence is not a personality trait. It is a thinking pattern that directly influences communication.
“Our thoughts affect the feelings, affect our actions, affect our results.”
Low confidence often reflects internal beliefs rather than actual skill deficits. Leaders who recognize this can better coach their teams and understand the deeper clinical implications of communication under stress.
Micro Wins: A Practical Tool to Build Communication Confidence
Micro wins function like therapeutic milestones, reinforcing progress and reshaping self perception.
“No wins are really small. You woke up, you got out of bed, you are winning.”
These small successes encourage continued effort, strengthen self confidence, and improve communication outcomes over time.
You Are Not Alone: Creating a Supportive Communication Culture in Health Care
Renee ends with a message every health care leader should hear:
“You are not alone. Feeling alone is a choice.”
Support, mentorship, and a culture of learning allow individuals to grow into more capable communicators. This is as true in leadership as it is in the delivery of clinical care.
Final Thoughts: Communication Is a Health Care Leadership Skill That Can Be Learned
Speech language pathology reveals that communication is not simply a soft skill. It is a developmental skill shaped by practice, mindset, environment, and support. For health care organizations, investing in communication development is one of the fastest ways to improve leadership effectiveness, staff engagement, and patient outcomes.
The same principles that guide speech language pathology services apply to leadership: use evidence based practice, engage in self reflection, understand human development, and continuously refine your communication style based on relevant information.
With the right systems in place, effective communication and self confidence can grow across a lifetime.
If this episode opened your eyes to the deeper layers of communication, you need to hear the full conversation with Renee. Her insights on mindset, human development, and communication mastery are game-changing for anyone in leadership or health care.
👉 Connect with Renee, follow her work, and make the decision to strengthen your communication from the inside out.
🎧 Subscribe and listen to the All Things LOCS podcast for more conversations that elevate your leadership, transform your culture, and challenge you to grow.
Written by Dan Neissany, a healthcare consultant and leadership strategist who helps organizations strengthen operations, culture, and communication through the LOCS framework. Dan co-hosts the All Things LOCS podcast, where clinicians and leaders explore real world strategies for better care and better business.
