Communication: The Key to Leadership

Effective leadership requires good communication and according to an article in CITIZEN-TIMES.com:

“There is no question that communication is one of the least developed skills of executives, professionals and managers……Communication is how leaders and their companies connect with people.”

Some simple rules to improve communication, mentioned in the article, are:

• What information do people need to know and expect to receive from me?
• Am I presenting my opinions and information so that everyone is absolutely clear about what I want them to know?
• Do the recipients of my communication know my expectations for their decisions and actions?
• Is this piece of communication going to strengthen the unity and commitment of my team, even when it is hard, difficult, unpleasant news? What this means is: How am I earning their trust by this communication? Communication is about the connection we have as leaders. You are either building trust and confidence in your leadership or you are telling them to be cautious and questioning about your leadership.
• Is the design and delivery of my communication going to make people want to take the time to listen?

An addtional article by by Ed Brenegar provide these insights:

Communication is simply your ability to tell a story that creates a connection with people.

Here’s how to focus on improving communication over the next year.

• Craft a story that tells about the impact you want to achieve. This is why you are investing time and money in yourself, your people and your business. By impact, what you need to say is, “This is what we want to change, the difference I want to make, and this is how we know we are doing it.” Tell that story and people will listen. I guarantee it.
• Tell your story in a variety of ways. In other words, develop a marketing plan for your story. You aren’t selling a product. You are telling a story that creates an emotional connection that makes people want to participate in your story. Think in terms of how people experience stories. It reaches them through their five senses – by sight, by hearing, by touching, by smelling and by tasting. Not all of these are useful in marketing your story, but most will be.
• Tell your story to real people. Business communication isn’t simply an attractive letterhead, a Web site, a brochure and newspaper ads. It is most importantly the personal relationships you develop on a professional level that engages other people in your story. Develop two versions of your story: a three-second to two-minute version that you can tell one-to-one, or as an introduction to who you are at a meeting, and, a 15- to 20-minute version you can give in a variety of settings.
• Tell your story online. Putting up a Web site that reads like a print brochure is not telling your story. It is providing technical information about your business. There is value in that, but it is a low-impact form of communication. Use your story as a way to interpret life. You need to give people a reason to repeatedly visit you online. When you have a clear, compelling story of the impact you are creating, you need to tell it in real time. A story isn’t a list of presentation bullet points. It is a drama that makes people want to know how the story is going to end. That’s what brings them back.
• Live your story. Your story has to be authentic to be believed. You and your business are the embodiment of the story you tell. In the end, improving communication is more than just telling a story. It is letting a story inspire a vision of impact that transforms you and your business in remarkable ways.

Some great leadership advice…… one prase that captured my attention was “Use your story as a way to interpret life“. This is this leaders purpose to create stories that inspire, guide and help us make sense of the confusion, to provide a way to interpret life.

Technorati Tags: Leadership Practice, Personal Leadership, Leadership, Management, Communication

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Tagged as: Communication