.avif)
Leadership
Communication Skills
What is Leadership Communication?
Communication, first and foremost, is a process between two or more people where everyone understands the messages being communicated.
If there is no understanding, no communication took place no matter how long you spoke for and how much your audience seemingly nodded in agreement.
Effective leadership communication is when a leader chooses words and behaviour that meets people where they’re at and moves them towards a defined outcome – clearly, kindly, compellingly and safely.
Why are leadership communication skills so important?
Leadership communication skills move people towards a goal. On a micro level, the goal could be to improve the way an employee delivers a project. In a business partnership, it might be to instil trust in order to retain a contract.
With the media, it could be to establish credibility and secure positive coverage. In a meeting, it could be to ensure compliance.
It’s not a ‘nice to have’ skill. And it’s not about becoming likeable or a ‘people person’. It’s about how you use your communication and behaviour to influence others, be that employees, shareholders, customers, media and more.
In short, leadership communication skills are so important because it helps to build strong relationships, reputation, trust, credibility and collaboration. And that helps to build better careers, businesses and workplaces.
Whether it’s one to one in a meeting or one to many at a conference, the measure of its success is not at the leader’s mouth, but the hearts and minds of the audience and the ability to achieve the desired outcome.