Road trips always take longer when I travel with my family. But it is always more interesting, entertaining, and memorable when I am with them instead of driving alone. When my family would pile into our Dodge Durango for a road trip, at least one of our kids would invariably ask “how long until we get there?”

When I was a kid I use to ask my parents why I had to do “stupid” Algebra. The only answer I ever remember was “because.” “Because” I would ask. “Yes because,” was their reply. If my parents had instead said because it will help you become a better problem solver, improve your chess game, make you more intelligent and finally if you take enough of these algebra classes you may never have to take another one ever again I may have been catapulted into algebra delight. However, their response had the opposite effect.

Leaders need to tell those who are rowing where they are going and why. This article gives four practical communication suggestions for leaders that can be applied now.