Thursday, June 28, 2012
This week’s leadership tip is on the critical leadership skill of communication.
It seems basic because if you didn’t know how to communicate, you wouldn’t be in a leadership role. However, what this is about is how to enhance your communication so that others are drawn to you and your leading becomes easier. There are a few things I want to share with you about the communication practices of successful high potential leaders.
First is about your style of communicating. Are you aware of what your style is and how it impacts your audience? You want to know what style you gravitate towards when communicating. Is it aggressive, passive, or self-confident/self-assured? You want to be a self-confident and self-assured communicator more so than an aggressive or passive communicator; the self-assured communicator is that of a high performing successful leader. However, style goes hand-in-hand with knowing your audience and what they need. Some audiences need a more assertive style of communicating where others do not; some audiences need more information than others. Therefore, another critical communicating technique that successful leaders consistently use is that of knowing your audience and what they need. This concept that aligns well with our prior video about relationship building.
The other key communicating technique is listening. By actively listening to those you are communicating with, you are demonstrating that communication is a two way street. This also helps build relationships and demonstrates that you are not only interested in what others are saying but that you care.
Although these things seem basic, sometimes it’s the most basic things that we forget when we are so busy trying to do our best in our leadership roles. In addition to the points mentioned, the type of communication that successful leaders use is authentic to who they are. This refers back to the topic of authenticity that we spoke about on an earlier video. Don’t try to be or emulate anyone else. Communicate as who you truly are and that will resonate with others.
