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The Point: Without some basic communication skills, no leader in the world can run their organization as effectively if they had. This is where communication skills training for leaders comes in. No matter which stage of leadership you are in, developing communication training is beneficial as you get to learn new concepts and sharpen tried and tested skills. What follows in this post are what we consider at Tip of the Spear to be the basic lessons taught in communication skills training… Enjoy!

Body Language

First and foremost, you’ll want to consider your body language. It is not “what” you say, but “how” you carry yourself during communications that creates the first, and perhaps most important impression. For instance, while you may be tired after a strenuous meeting or leadership development session, which explains why you are slumped in your chair, the people around you can perceive this to be a lack of interest in the job (or leading them!)

Verbal Communication

You should dress, walk, move your hands, and even make eye contact in a way that suits a leader. Only then you can initiate the second stage of communication, i.e. the way you speak. When you are communicating verbally, your speech (especially the tone of your voice) should influence and elicit the response of the listeners that you hope to achieve.

Authoritative Voice

A leader should be seen as an authority figure, which is why you should work in leadership development on your tone while communicating professionally. Also consider the voice “throw.” If you are soft-spoken, this can also be perceived as a lack of confidence. So with this in mind, try to speak at a higher volume (pace) than you usually speak. This does not mean that you raise your pitch or your speed dramatically. Remember, you need to speak in a low tone and at a pace that allows the listener to take interest and seep in the message.

Sound Vocabulary

You can further augment your verbal communication skills by using powerful words. While the usage of words is not the primary factor in successful verbal communication, when getting communication skills training for leaders, you will be taught how your using certain expressions over others can enhance the power of the message. A helpful tip in this regard is to downplay negative expressions and replace them with positive ones, for example saying ‘I will try my best’ instead of ‘no, I can’t do it’ as well as replacing “but” with “and.”

Empathy

Finally and most importantly, a leader should learn how to empathize with his/her listeners. Ask yourself, “Who are you speaking to?” and “Is what I am saying any help to them or not?” Active listening allows you to connect with your listeners, which in turns gives you a loyal and dedicated group from which to work with.

SUMMARY

To sum up, communication skills training for leaders should be taken at different points of your career as leadership development. This will attune your entire being, from physical appearance to the exchange of ideas verbally, so that you influence those you lead effortlessly. The emphasis is on the word ‘effortlessly’ for you fail as a communicator if people can see you working hard to come up with eloquent phrases or if they can spot that you are just pretending to listen to them (Never a good communication outcome!)

For more information on Tip of the Spear Communication Skills Training for Leaders series titled Communicate with Influence, use the title bar above or review our website.

The Point: It is no secret that leaders that are smart and capable. During the course of their careers, they have perused best-selling books on leadership, taken leadership training (including associated assessments), and attended multiple communication skills training lessons. But with all of those training opportunities under their belts, they still fail to effectively lead. Think of the fruitless and unconstructive discussions at meetings and business divisions that somehow never seem to make a profit (or scratch the surface of their potential profit). If you’re a leader facing similar circumstances, but are unable to determine the root cause, you have come to the right place. In this post, you will learn why communications skills training for leaders often fails and what can be done to counter this.

Less Emphasis on the Practical Aspects of Leadership

The fundamental flaw in most books and courses on leadership development is that there a greater emphasis on the theoretical aspects of leadership instead of practical ones. Sometimes, there can be an information overload. The need of the hour is for communication skills trainers to teach leaders about what has to be done in their position and the courage to take some flair for it.

On-the-Job Training

While communication skills training programs for leaders involves simulated events where trainees are required to take charge of the situation, followed by critique of how well they were able to do. The limitations of such a model will be discussed at the end, but here the emphasis is on on-the-job leadership communication training.

This means the mentor or coach accompanies the executive at the workplace as the latter leads a session, conducts training, or oversees a meeting. This is where the actual leadership skills will be tested, instead of a safe, simulated environment. The coach has to make sure that s/he doesn’t interrupt or correct the trainee during any task, but only to offer insight during breaks in private.

Having Superficial Notions about Communication

Another reason communications skills training for leaders often fails may have nothing to do with the “tool” and everything with the “technique’ involved. Most leaders only have a surface level understanding of what communication is. For them, it is only about emails and memos. However, communication is a diverse topic that has to be approached from various angles in order to be effective (and every angle therein!)

The fundamental principle is the clarity and consistency of messages you send to your workforce. Bad leaders send mixed messages and keep their employees in the dark. This creates friction, and is a primary cause of low job satisfaction and retention. Good communication skills training should address this issue if they are to make leaders better.

Focusing on the Training Aspect

Finally and most importantly, is the mere fact that such leadership development programs place emphasis on “training” instead of “development” of leaders. These two words are not interchangeable, contrary to popular opinion. Training, in its essence, is rote learning and one-way reception of fixed norms and principles, while development is dynamic. It focuses on unique personalities of each person and the end goal is helping trainees achieve their true potential as leaders.

SUMMARY

To sum up, simply going for communication skills training is not enough for leadership development. You need to make sure that the leadership development actually focuses on developing leaders. This involves teaching real-life lessons, clear-cut communication, and paving the way for future development.