LC Extension

Communication is how leaders inspire people to deliver amazing results. Stellar communication is a true hallmark of successful leadership. A great leader gets everyone working toward the same goals and doing so with enthusiasm!  

Great communication is not about telling people what to do. Rather, it provides motivation and clarity and boosts morale. A communicative leadership style helps employees feel like valued team members. It incites buy-in from executive stakeholders. And finally, it makes customers feel like a priority.   

Why is communication an essential leadership skill?  

It’s a leader’s job to curate information coming from many different places within an organization. They must decide what’s important, and to whom, then spearhead or support team priorities as needed. Strong communication skills make delegation more efficient, ultimately boosting productivity.  

Sometimes, good communication is also about transparency. Concise, timely and open communication is critical for developing trust and rapport within a team. Even those in high-level leadership positions need to communicate from a place of authenticity and humility.  

Of course, not every employee needs to know what’s going on in every corner of the business, or in a leader’s personal or professional life. But still, approaching communication from a place of vulnerability, with the goal of genuine connection, builds stronger workplace relationships. This is how leaders can build feelings of reciprocity, responsibility, and a sense of belonging — all of which make team members more likely to be proactive and produce their best work.   

Effective communication in action 

Exceptional communication is a delicate and subjective art. Strong communicators use many different skills to connect with others, and getting their point across as effectively as possible. These include:  

• Organizing your thoughts and voicing your idea with clarity 
• Actively listening with empathy 
• Encouraging input and feedback from your audience 
• Understanding body language and nonverbal cues 

Active, empathetic listening can help leaders spot confusion or defensiveness. That’s when they might need to reframe ideas, offer explanation or context, and change their delivery.  

Improving your communication skill set 

There are so many ways to upskill how you communicate, whether you lead a team of two or two hundred.  

Good communication requires flexibility and a readiness to adapt — just like leadership as a whole. Not every situation will require the same skills and a sensitive, powerful leader will know which to apply when.  

Here are a few ways you can take your communication to the next level: 

1.  Always include the “why.” 
   The reason for asking your team to take on a new project is already evident to you. But they won’t know what the stakes and benefits are unless you tell them. Always back up the what and how with why. That gets everyone aligned and engaged, and makes the intended impacts of a project clear.  
2. Improve your active listening skills. 
   Making real connections with your team through communication requires active listening. Active listening means allowing the other person to express themselves freely, waiting to share your opinion and response until they are done. Eye contact, body language and verbal affirmation are all part of effective active listening.  
3. Ask open-ended questions.  
   Being a good communicator is also about making communication easier for others. Try asking open-ended questions using the TED acronym: “Tell me more,” “Explain what you mean,” and “Define that term or concept for me.”  
4. Understand your audience. 
   Empathy goes beyond connecting with someone emotionally. Consider the following: Who are you communicating with; are they an executive or a junior team member? What context do they have or not have around what you’re about to share? Where might they be at in their day or week when you contact them — will they be stressed or receptive? What are the pieces of information that will be the most valuable to them at this time?  

Communicating to lead better 

Demonstrating your durable skills through storytelling helps you build connections on a human, relatable level. It’s a surprisingly timeless technique, but that’s exactly what makes it so powerful.  

Interested in levelling-up how you communicate to inspire your people? Join us for our Communications Strategies Microcredential, starting June 1, 2022.