Leveraging the Power of Why

Canadian business leaders had legitimate reasons to feel pessimistic at the start of 2026.¹ Tariff uncertainties, supply chain disruptions, the accelerated use of AI, and the volatility caused by an increase in turnover and retirements are just a few of the pressures leaders have been facing daily. And the collective impact of these pressures on workforce engagement has already been profound; according to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace: 2025 Report, global employee engagement fell so significantly in 2024 that it “cos[t] the world economy US$438 billion in lost productivity.”²

Engagement at all employee levels continues to decline, but the problem is especially acute among managers. In an effort to strengthen engagement, leaders feel pressured to communicate more, even though many of us feel like we are already drowning in communication. Is one more email, Teams message, internal memo, or companywide town hall really the answer? Surely the solution is not just to increase quantity. Sabra Sciolaro, the chief people officer at Firstup, said the organizations that will win in 2026 are those that communicate the most clearly—not the most.³ I’m inclined to agree.

But what does it actually mean to communicate with precision?

Often, we believe that we communicate more clearly than we do. When we speak, we have all of the context—our rationale for why something is important, our intentions for talking to a specific person or group, and even how we define the words we use. All of this information informs what we say, how we say it, and to whom, but that still does not mean we are communicating effectively. Without this same context, those with whom we are communicating only have our words to go by. This reality is exacerbated by the fact that many (if not most) of our communications are now delivered via email or text, with no body language, tone, or inflection to help us convey our meaning. In short, most of us simply do not communicate as clearly or as comprehensively as we think we do.

So how can we increase the chances of being fully understood? While pondering this question recently, I was reminded of the “start with why” concept popularized by Simon Sinek in his influential 2009 TED Talk for leaders.⁴ What if we applied “why?” to our communications?

Ask yourself: Does the individual or group receiving my message know why I’m telling or asking them something? Do they know why it matters? Do they know why they are the person who needs to hear this message? If the answer to any of these questions is “no,” or “I don’t know,” you need to add clarity to your messaging.

An easy way to start is by adding the word “because” to your communications as often as possible. For example:

• I would like you to add more detail to this report because stakeholders have asked for deeper insights.
• Please move the meeting to Thursday because the client review has been rescheduled for that day.
• I need you to prioritize this task today because it is required before I can move on to the next phase of the project.
• Could you walk me through your approach because I may need to replicate it next week?
• Please use the updated template because the old version no longer meets the new compliance standards.
• I would like you to review this section because your expertise in this area will help improve accuracy.

When given this suggestion, many of the leaders with whom I work say, “But I already do this.” That may be true, but perhaps none of us do it as often as we think. I encourage you to test this practice out for a couple of weeks and see if it makes a difference! One simple change may seem insignificant, but leveraging the power of why can fundamentally change the depth and clarity of our communications and, by extension, our ability to engage with those around us.

More from the Author

Tammy is the co-facilitator of the CFO’s Leadership Program, one of CPABC’s intensive, interactive, and multi-segment executive programs. The program will be offered in an online virtual format on May 11-14, and in person in Whistler on September 20-23. Early-bird discounts are available for those who register by March 11 and July 21, respectively. Visit pd.bccpa.ca for details.

Tammy Towill, FCPA is a partner in the Cordura Group. She has worked with private and public sector companies throughout North America and Europe for over 25 years, providing education, training, and facilitation in the areas of leadership, strategy, business planning, and curriculum development and implementation. Tammy is also active in governance and served as co-chair of CPABC’s inaugural board of directors.

This article was originally published in the March/April 2026 issue of CPABC in Focus.

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