The Point: Neither you, your company, nor the society at large can function without good leaders. However, one thing we know here at Tip of the Spear is that so much has been said and written on the subject of leadership that it’s easy to be overwhelmed with all the ‘clutter’ out there. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at 10 essential leadership communication skills that are often ignored… Enjoy!
#10: A Horizontal Business Model
Effective leadership communication skills ensure that all members of your workforce are onboard about important business decisions you make. In this way, they all feel part of the organization instead of being treated as isolated and insignificant. Could communication skills training for leaders help in your organization?
#9: Effective Communication Removes Bias
Leaders that are good at communicating are aware of their own biases and are proficient at controlling the egos of fellow managers and team leaders.
#8: The Ability to Take a Joke
Sometimes, a little sense of humor can help you illustrate a unique business solution and soothe any insecurity in your organization (especially in the face of uncertainty!) I worked with one organization that as part of their communication skills training for leaders series brought in comedians from the local comedy club… Brilliant (and FUNNY!)
#7: Taking Disciplinary Action is Necessary
While communication makes all employees feel valued, leaders know when to take disciplinary steps. However, sometimes the right words at the right time are often missing. In short, confrontation is also part of leadership communication skills.
#6: Effective Listening
Being a great communicator doesn’t mean you speak all the time. You also have to be a great listener. This makes your clients, partners, and employees feel valued as you listen to them, ask meaningful questions, and understand their issues. When you listen more, you can respond more effectively to what people expect from you. To read about the one communication skill that is most important in leadership development from one of our previous blog posts, CLICK HERE.
#5: Communication Stems from Confidence
There will come a rainy day in your business… Let’s face it, it will happen! At such times, all eyes are on the leader. When motivation levels drop and stress levels rise, it is your job as the leader to bring back some enthusiasm in the workplace, which can only be achieved by staying calm and confident in your communication.
#4: Effective Communication Stems from Trust
Effective communication means learning to trust your team with your vision, without which you might never achieve next-level success in business. Learning to delegate is a key strength of leaders. Not to mention, when employees are delegated tasks more and more, they feel genuinely motivated to contribute to the company because you’re actually increasing trust levels accordingly.
#3: Honesty
‘Honesty is the best policy’ is an adage for true business leadership. Running a business means facing embarrassments and failures every now and then. Brave leaders are those that step up to the challenge, admit their follies, and face critics.
#2: Communication Breeds Flexibility
When you communicate effectively, your team will better be able to respond to change. Markets and consumers demands change rapidly, and unless you are well connected with your team, achieving results will become more difficult if they are unable to adapt.
#1: Non-Verbal Communication
Finally and most importantly, you need to remember that not all communication is verbal. When you are delivering a speech, training new employees, or listening to your clients, your facial and hand gestures matter a lot, and so does your posture. If you find yourself lacking in this respect, perhaps one of our Communicate with Influence program offerings can help you out (CLICK HERE to review the offerings available).
Summary
As we mentioned, there is so much written/said about communication skills training for leaders. Yet, leadership communication skills don’t seem to be on the rise! We hope that this blog post can act as the leadership development ‘spark’ needed to improve your communication skills as a leader.
For more information on Tip of the Spear’s Business Advisory Services where we specialize in providing communication training for leaders, CLICK HERE.
