ESSENTIAL LEADERSHIP COMMUNICATION SKILLS
ESSENTIAL LEADERSHIP COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Grace Krobo-Edusei WHY IS COMMUNICATION IMPORTANT IN LEADERSHIP?
“Nothing in life is more important than the ability to communicate effectively.”
– Gerald R. Ford, former United States president
A leader is someone who inspires positive, incremental change by empowering those around them to work toward common objectives. A leader’s most powerful tool for doing so is communication.
Effective communication is vital to gain trust, align efforts in the pursuit of goals, and inspire positive change. When communication is lacking, important information can be misinterpreted, causing relationships to suffer and, ultimately, creating barriers that hinder progress.
If you’re interested in enhancing your leadership capabilities, here are four communication skills you need to be more effective in your role.
ESSENTIAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS FOR LEADERS
1. Ability to Adapt Your Communication Style
It’s essential to identify your leadership style, so that you can better understand how you’re interacting with, and perceived by others
All employee’s motivations are different, so knowing how to tailor your communication is essential to influencing others and reaching organizational goals.
2. Active Listening
Effective leaders know when they need to talk and, more importantly, when they need to listen. Show that you care by asking for employees’ opinions, ideas, and feedback. And when they do share, actively engage in the conversation—pose questions, invite them to elaborate, and take notes.
3. Open Body Language
Communication isn’t just what you say; it’s how you carry yourself. Ninety-three percent of communication’s impact comes from nonverbal cues, according to executive coach Darlene Price.
4. Receiving and Implementing Feedback
Asking for feedback from your team or your audience can not only help you grow as a leader but build trust among them. It’s critical, though, that you don’t just listen to the feedback. You also need to act on it.
Additional Reading
Everyone communicates few connect by John C. Maxwell.
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