Many skills contribute to being a good leader in the workplace, but perhaps the most vital is the ability to communicate well. As a leader, your ability to communicate efficiently allows your team to swim rather than sink.
Good leaders need to keep their team engaged, motivated, and on the same page, which requires consistent and effective communication. If you want to grow your career and become a leader your team looks up to, practice these efforts in your communication!
Be authentic
Some people are blessed with the gift of gab, and while that may have its uses, if that gab isn’t authentic, it’s going to be hard to earn your team’s trust. People are better at judging sincerity than many expect, so the most inspiring leaders are those with authenticity.
There’s a reason authenticity is leadership expert Lolly Daskal’s top communication tip for leaders. Being genuine, transparent, and speaking from the heart are the keys to getting people to follow you, writes Lolly. Consider the leaders you’ve been most inspired by. Did they seem authentic or like they were merely selling something? Emulate authenticity in your own efforts.
Be strategic
Being able to speak well and deliver your message authentically is a great start, but you need to make sure your message has depth. You don’t want to talk for the sake of it—you want to get a point across. That means it’s crucial to have a strategy for what you want to say and how you’ll deliver it.
Haiilo says that 60% of companies are still struggling to have long-term internal communication strategies and that it starts with the organization’s leadership. In the long term, you must consider what the team needs to meet its main objectives. In the short term, you need to find the best channels for communication, the overall goal of your message, and ways to keep everyone in the loop.
“According to research, 85% of employees feel more motivated when they regularly get the right information about company news. Such a strategy will help leaders lay the foundation for proper communication and information flow from the rank and file employee to senior management, as well as its effectiveness.” –Tania Doshko, Jobillico
Be adaptable
Even the best-laid plans can go to waste when crises or changes happen. As important as it is to have a plan, it’s just as important to learn to be adaptable with your communication.
LinkedIn’s Richard C. writes that leaders need to consider technological trends for their communication. We saw a lot of changes in communication technology thanks to the pandemic and the rise of remote work. Zoom meetings became the norm, and using Teams or Slack became a primary communication hub.
New forms of this technology are coming out every day while some of the old methods like newsletters and videos still remain effective. A good leader needs to stay up with the times and find ways to adapt and use the most efficient methods.
Be a good listener
Communication isn’t a one-sided affair. Great leaders are the ones who know how to listen and listen well. Active listening is one of the best skills for good communication, and leaders are no exception.
We Are Succeed says that the best ways to be a masterful listener are simple, you just need to be aware and make sure to incorporate them into your routine. Give your full attention, echo back statements, pay attention to body language, and ask follow-up questions to grasp the speaker’s point, show you understand their message, and look for follow-up to show your engagement—while remaining authentic.
“If the fundamental unit of work is a conversation, listening is the quieter, more powerful component of communication.” –Allison Schultz, Medium
Learn how to become a good storyteller
Finally, learning how to be an enthralling storyteller is one of the best things you can do for your career. Even if you aren’t in a role with a lot of direct communication, it’s still an important skill that can take your career to new heights. For a leader, it’s an absolute necessity.
Lolly Daskal says that most people respond more to an engaging narrative than pure facts and numbers. Being able to connect with what’s being said creates more investment. Learning how to use the right anecdotes to inspire your team while still providing important information is the key to being an inspiring leader.
Wrap up
There’s more to being an effective communicator than simply being confident, though confidence helps. The best leaders are authentic and transparent, are prepared for anything, and know how to inspire with a story. To become a better leader or take the next step in your career, these are chief skills to master.
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