Ever wondered what it is that lets someone in the same room as you speak so beautifully that people gather to listen to what is being said. Or, have you heard someone speak so majestically that you got deeply immersed in their talk?
On the other hand, when you try communicating to your team or employees, you seem plain and bland.
What are the skills that only some people have that makes them talk like a leader?
These people have mastered the art of speaking. They have learned the ‘secret language’ of leadership. They have learned the communication skills that increase their impact on their team and helps them in leading their team.
You too can master the art of communicating like a leader.
Why are communication skills necessary in leadership?
It is not surprising for your company’s success relies on your ability to communicate well as a leader.
Communication skills are significant in:
- Boosting morale
- Achieving performance goals
- Boost sales
- Building trust
- Direct organizational change
A recent study has stated that poor communication skills can cost big organizations approximately $64.2 million per annum, while small companies can lose up to $420,000 per annum.
However, before learning how to communicate efficiently as leaders, let us consider four different ways a leader communicates than any other average human being:
- They speak short sentences: Leaders speak concise statements. The sentences are to the point and short. Leaders understand that the longer the sentence, the more chances of the listener’s attention being diverted. Moreover, concise statements are clearer to understand and have more impact on the listeners.
- Secondly, leaders know how to speak well about areas that they don’t have expertise in. This is important. For example, a leader in an organization must have the ability to talk about the value being provided to the company by the accounting department, marketing department, and others to acknowledge the efforts of his team in those departments. For this step, it’s wise first to learn the basics of the other areas of your company so that you can speak proficiently in front of your team.
- The leader should speak so that he/she coordinates the activities among the departments in his company. For example, your company’s marketing department is working on marketing your products while the accounting department is working towards making sure the marketing costs do not exceed the company’s budget. The leader’s job here is to coordinate their activities.
- A leader talks about the overall goals of the company. The mission statement. They talk about what is their place in the market. And we don’t need to be talking about profit organizations. The same rules can be applied to not-for-profit companies as well.
How can leadership improve communication skills?
As stated above, you too can master the art of communicating efficiently like a leader. You have to practice the skills mentioned here, make an effort, and in no time, people will start trusting you as a leader and becoming empowered by you.
- Listen:
Of all leadership skills, listening is the most valuable — and one of the least understood. Most captains of industry listen only sometimes, and they remain ordinary leaders. But a few, the great ones, never stop listening. That’s how they get word before anyone else of unseen problems and opportunities.”
— Peter Nulty, Fortune Magazine
Before you speak, listen. Listen to your employees’ concerns and needs. Only when you have heard and understood their issues will you help them grow and empower them. Moreover, listening to your team will also encourage mutual respect.
- Be Present
By being wholly present at the moment will help you in listening well. Also, make sure to sometimes listen to what’s not being said. Individuals around you feel your presence as a leader. You may not know it, but the people know when it is that you are actually listening and when you are ‘just there.
- Know yourself
Successful leaders are self-aware, and hence, they have to learn how not to let emotions take over them. They know how to control their feelings and say the right thing at the right time. It’s also worth mentioning here to increase your Emotional Quotient (EQ).
- Improve your emotional intelligence (EQ)
This is very uncommon for a leader to experience stressful situations, especially in times like now when there is uncertainty and crises due to the pandemic. Hence, leaders should learn to improve their emotional intelligence. Improving your EQ will help in your ability to manage your emotions. You can manage your feelings in positive ways, allowing you to communicate effectively and be empathetic towards others. one can overcome challenges in a better way with better EQ.
- Build and maintain trust
It takes time to build trust in a team. It requires work every day. Inform your group of any good or a bad thing happening in the company. always inform them about sensitive issues such as the financial results of the company.
Work with clear values that define acceptable behaviors to your team members.
To build trust, it’s wise to first start by trusting your team. Try to delegate decision-making to your team members so that they know that you trust their decisions.
Acknowledge and appreciate your team member’s accomplishments. it is not best to corner your team members and be in the center of the spotlight all the time. Help your team members achieve their goal. This increases the team’s trust, and they are sure to repay you many times.
- Be clear and speak with conviction.
To speak with conviction means to communicate what you truly believe in. You should talk in such a way that your ascertainment shone through your words. You have to speak slowly in a commanding voice and, most importantly, be authentic with confident body language.
- Become a role model:
Whether you intend to or not, you as a leader are a role model for your team. Your behavior will shape the culture of the organization. Your followers or team will learn a lot from you just by your body language. Hence, if you want good values in your team or workspace, it is essential to note that you are showcasing just that!
- Body Language:
Why is body language important as a leader?
Communication doesn’t include what you say. It’s also about your body language, that is, how you are carrying yourself.
Great leaders’ body language showcases confidence, capability, and status. They also exude warmth and empathy via their body language, especially during collaborations or any change.
A leader’s body language can express a lot about himself. You can know whether he is a dishonest man. A leader’s speech should be aligned with his body language to be trusted by his peers.
For example, if you are giving an inspirational speech, you shouldn’t be having furrowed brows or clenched fists!
A leader doesn’t need to be tall or short or fat or skinny. It’s about how they are holding themselves up. Here are some tips to improve your body language as a leader:
- Be true to yourself.
- Bring yourself to the office or your team/followers. When we are our best selves, our leadership is beautiful.
- Work towards perfecting your posture. Stand calmly and let your weight distribute evenly.
- Use open hand gestures to showcase your interest to communicate and share ideas. However, try not to overexpress.
- Maintain your head up and on the level of leaning too forward or backward will make you look arrogant.
- Keep good eye contact with your audience to whom you are communicating.
- Try not to touch your face often, as it usually suggests that you are nervous or dishonest to other people.
The tips mentioned above are for learning purposes and are general guidelines for understanding body language. They may not apply to everyone as people worldwide have different cultural practices. So, one positive gesture in a country may not be
Who is a famous effective communicator?
Let us consider examples of some of the leaders who are great communicators:
- Winston Churchill
We all know that Winston Churchill is the leader of the 20th century who is oft-quoted even now in many speeches. He is well known for the way he spoke/communicated with his people. He gave his people hope during their dark times. He told them to stay strong. Some of the famous quotes said by Churchill are:
“Success is not final, and failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
“If you are going through hell, keep going.”
One noticeable aspect of these quotes by Churchill is that they are short. People tend to remember a short, concise message rather than a long speech.
- Greta Thunberg
Greta Thunberg became famous last year. Greta is from Sweden who is a young schoolgirl who is also an environmental activist who challenged the world leaders to control the adverse effects on the Earth’s climate.
Greta Thunberg gave a remarkable speech in the U.N. last year and instantly became a leader on her own by having lots of followers.
Some experts from her speech include:
“The eyes of all future generations are upon you. And if you choose to fail us, I say: We will never forgive you. “We will not let you get away with this. Right here, right now is where we draw the line.”
Such a powerful and mesmerizing speech!
- Jacinda Arden
Jacinda Arden, prime minister of New Zealand, who also got listed as the top 1 most outstanding leader in 2020, communicates well. Her speeches are something that people take seriously and listen to.
One of her speeches that gained appraisal was after the Christchurch Mosque shooting. The speech was concise and conveyed an important message.
An excerpt from one of her speeches:
“I have one final message. Be kind. I know people will want to act as enforcers. And I understand that people are afraid and anxious. We will play that role for you. What we need from you is to support one another. Go home tonight and check in on your neighbors. Start a phone tree with your street. Plan how you’ll keep in touch with one another. We will get through this together, but only if we stick together. Be strong and be kind.”
Conclusion:
One must learn the art of communicating well to become a good leader. The guidelines to becoming an excellent communicator are very rarely taught in schools/colleges. The idea here is that to learn something to communicate as a leader, make sure you deliver that correctly, concisely, and like great leaders do.
More importantly, being a leader is not just about giving your message, opinions, or goals. It is also about listening to your team members and helping them achieve their goals. This is what makes you a true leader.