This is the crux of leadership is in the ability to influence peoples’ decisions through effective communication skills. To be a successful leader, there are certain leadership communication skills that you ought to master.
The ability to communicate with others openly and effortlessly is a trait shared by all great leaders throughout history.
For one to be understood he must be able to communicate effectively to such a degree as to make his verbal and non-verbal message clearly understood by listeners.
Over the years great leaders have proven to be effective communicators by the way they code their messages and the method by which they pass this message across to their audience.
In this article, I’ll outline 10 leadership communication skill every leader must possess.
Table of contents
What Is Leadership Communication?
Leadership communications consists of those messages from a leader that are rooted in the values and culture of an organization and are of significant importance to key stakeholders, e.g., employees, customers, strategic partners, shareholders, and the media. Messages passed from the leadership reflect an organisation or company’s vision, mission, and culture.
Why Is Effective Leadership Communication Important?
When history remembers communicators, it remembers leaders who effectively marshaled their followers with the way they communicated their desires, people like Martin Luther King Jnr., Winston Churchill, Adolf Hitler, Billy Graham, etc. These renowned leaders proved were excellent communicators
Leaders can use effective communication to rally their team behind a common objective, empower people, build trust, and successfully navigate organizational change. To acquire trust, synchronize efforts in the pursuit of goals, and inspire good change, effective communication is critical. Important information might be misconstrued when communication is inadequate, leading relationships to deteriorate and, ultimately, erecting barriers to advancement.
10 Effective Leadership Communication Skills for Leaders
Any leader that wants to make a resounding change in his point of leadership must master the following leadership communication skills forthwith:
1. Active Listening
The ability to listen is one of the most important talents for efficient communication and great leadership. Employees, consumers, and other stakeholders can feel heard, acknowledged, and understood when they engage in active listening. Active listening is a skill, a discipline, and an art that requires a lot of self-control. Hearing becomes listening only when you pay great attention to what the other person is saying.
In order to make the greatest decisions, there is a need for as much information and as many varied viewpoints as possible to filter through your ears. People who are actively listening are more likely to share knowledge because they believe they will be heard and valued.
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2. Empathy
Next on our list of leadership communication skills is empathy.
It’s crucial to distinguish between sympathy and empathy, as the two are frequently confused. Sympathy is characterized by feelings of pity for another person without fully comprehending what it is like to be in their shoes. On the other hand, empathy is the aptitude or skill to envision oneself in another’s shoes, experiencing that person’s emotions, thoughts, or opinions.
Empathetic leadership requires the ability to recognize and comprehend the needs of others, as well as their feelings and thoughts. In both our personal and professional lives, compassion and the capacity to connect with others are crucial abilities. Empathy is a crucial component of emotional intelligence and leadership effectiveness because it improves human connections in general and can result in more effective interaction and beneficial outcomes in both the workplace and at home.
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3. Attuned to picking-up hints in messages
Great leaders can pick up on things that aren’t expressed, seen, or heard. Being a leader should not lead to an increase in rhetorical output.
Astute leaders understand that surrendering the floor is significantly more beneficial than filibustering. In this era of immediate communication, everyone appears to be in such a hurry to share what’s on their minds that they miss out on everything that may be learned from other people’s brains. Keep your eyes and ears open while keeping your mouth quiet, and you’ll be surprised at how much your organizational awareness grows.
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4. Control of emotions
Oftentimes, the decisions we make come out based on how we feel and not how we think. Therefore, it’s our duty to master our emotions as it plays an essential part in communication.
Your nonverbal communication, which is influenced by emotions, has an impact on how other people comprehend and view you. As a leader, you will not be able to convey your wants and experiences if you are not aware of your sentiments. Ensure you have emotional control over situations as it gives you the ability to comprehend others, yourself, and the messages you transmit.
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5. Use of appropriate body language
It’s not just what you say that counts; how you say it and the body language and expression that accompanies each word matters.
Pay attention to your body language to make sure you’re sending the proper message. If you’re attempting to motivate someone, speaking with clenched fists and a furrowed brow isn’t work. Instead, create direct eye contact to establish attention and rapport, and smile warmly and confidently. You can also maintain good eye contact while maintaining an open posture and a solid handshake as motivating factors that cause subordinates to open up in their conversations.
Positive body language strengthens your arguments, clarifies your ideas, and prevents you from sending mixed messages.
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6. Transparency and consistency
One of the foremost leadership communication skill is transparency and consistency.
By speaking openly about the company’s goals, opportunities, and challenges, leaders can build trust amongst their team and foster an environment where employees feel free to share their ideas and collaborate.
Admitting that you made a mistake or taking responsibility when an error is committed can push you to try new things and provide a safe environment for active problem-solving. This open environment will facilitate problem-solving, simplify the work process, and ultimately improve the team’s performance.
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7. Know your onus
Develop a technical understanding of your subject or area of business. Most persons will find you uninteresting if you don’t have subject matter expertise.
As a leader, strive to accumulate knowledge and vital industry expertise that brings value to a situation or issue. To avoid being the good talker who leaves the audience with the sense of form over substance, good communicators address both the “what” and “how” parts of communications.
8. Clarity
Speaking in specifics when speaking with the team is a mark of true leadership.
Clarity is a leadership communication skill required of every leader. Always ensure you define a project or initiative to the point of simplifying the plans to achieve the goal and the results accomplished at the end of each milestone.
If your team doesn’t well understand your objectives, consider simplifying your message even further or asking how you can provide more clarity or assistance. The more explicit you are about your priorities, the less misunderstanding there will be. Employees will be more involved in the process they know and understand.
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9. Presentation skills
All of the traits required to design and deliver a clear and effective presentation are referred to as presentation skills. When speaking to an audience, how you present yourself as a leader is equally as crucial as the material you give. You want to come across as self-assured and personable.
Effective presentation can be accomplished by proper posture, hand movements, and eye contact with the audience. Developing your presentation skills is a good salesman that is capable of elevating any leader.
READ ALSO: Presentation for Interview: 15 Tips to Hit Success
10. Accepting and implementing feedback
Getting input from your team can help you not only grow as a leader but also establish trust among your coworkers. It’s crucial that you don’t just take the feedback at face value, you must also take action.
Your team will lose faith in your capacity to follow through if you continue to get input from them but do nothing with it. It’s likely that you won’t be able to respond to every comment right away; however, be receptive to comments.
By letting your employees know they were heard and then informing them of any progress you can (or will) make, they will feel valued and that you are committed to improving.
Good leaders should actively seek input from others to improve their communication skills. “Just as it is said that the best apology is changed behavior,” says Zev Herman, president of Superior Lighting, “the biggest communication secret of outstanding leaders is asking for input and then implementing it.”
Closing Thoughts
Being a leader is a difficult job. All you need to do to succeed as a leader is to develop a work culture that will help you achieve your goals. As a leader that demands genuine followership, you need to master the act of clear, empathetic, concise, honest, and open communication.
References
- lifehack.org – 10 Leadership Communication Skills Every Effective Leader Has
- online.hbs.edu – 8 ESSENTIAL LEADERSHIP COMMUNICATION SKILLS
- vistage.com – Active listening as a leadership skill
- forbes.com – 10 Communication Secrets Of Great Leaders
- thebalancecareers.com – Important Leadership Skills for Workplace Success
- inc.com – Speak Like a Leader: 7 Effective Communication Skills
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