“Developing excellent communication skills is absolutely essential to effective leadership. If a leader cannot get a message across clearly and motivate others to act on it, then having a message doesn’t even matter.” Gilbert Amelio
You may not have your sights set on leading the country, however, you still need to possess the ability to communicate. The success of your marriage, work and personal relationships depends greatly on it. People will not follow you if they don’t know what you want or where you are going.
You can be a more effective communicator if you follow four basic truths.
- Simplify your message – it’s not just what you say, it’s also how you say it. Cut the complex sentences or impressing people with big words, if you want to connect with people, then be clear, be clear, be clear!
- See the person – focus on the people with whom you are communicating. Find out something about your audience – who are they? what are their questions? what needs to be accomplished and how much time do I have? People believe in great communicators because great communicators believe in people!
- Show the truth – credibility precedes great communication. Firstly believe what you say! Ordinary people become extraordinary communicators when they are fired up with conviction. Secondly, live what you say. There is no greater credibility than conviction in action.
- Seek a response – as you communicate, never forget the goal of communication is action. Dumping a bunch of information on people is not communicating. Every time you speak to people give them something to feel, something to remember and something to do.
Self-reflection opportunity:
- how do you rate your ability to communicate with others?
- is communication a priority for you?
- can you inspire and motivate people?
- do you express your vision in such a way that your people are able to understand, internalise and implement it?
- when you talk to people one-on-one, are you able to connect with them?
- how about with groups?
- if you know in your heart that your vision is great, yet people still don’t buy into it, your problem may be an inability to communicate effectively.
To improve your communication, do the following:
- Be clear – review your recent communication, are your sentences short and direct? Will your readers be able to grasp the words you have chosen or will they scramble to look them up? Have you used the fewest words possible? Make simplicity and clarity your best friends.
- Refocus your attention – in the coming days pay attention to your focus when you communicate. Is it on you? Your material? Or your audience? If it’s not on people, then you need to change it. Think about their needs, questions and desires. Meet people where they are and you will be a better communicator.
- Live your message – are there any discrepancies between what you communicate and what you do? Talk to a few trustworthy people and ask them if you are living your message.
Remember we all start somewhere; it doesn’t matter where you begin, just take the first step and commit to some aspect of improving your communication this week.
Part 4 of our Leadership Series: Leadership is an Inside Job, The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader
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