Communication can be experienced in many ways—speech, writing, signing, art, even interpretive dance (though we don’t recommend this for the office). When we try to impart meaning through whatever method we have chosen, there’s always the chance that our meaning will become muddled or be taken in the wrong tone or context. In the office, this can have devastating consequences.
Leaders need to develop good leadership and communication skills to bring their teams forward and achieve business and personal goals. Let’s review the various strategies leaders use to enhance communication skills and why this is so important.
What Is Good Leadership Communication?
Leadership and communication go hand in hand. When you oversee or guide others, you must be able to connect with them well enough for them to understand you and be open to listening to you. Some of the hallmark traits of good communication include:
- Clarity: Ensure the message is straightforward and tailored to the individual or group receiving it.
- Consistency: Ensure the same message is conveyed to all parties; follow your word or explain transparently why you are changing position.
- Empathy: Deliver your message while maintaining sight of the listener’s perspective and feelings.
- Psychological Safety: Create an environment where open feedback is encouraged and mistakes are never punished.
While some leaders may be supported by a broader corporate communications strategy, the importance of communication in leadership at a more personal level is what truly impacts results. Just take it from leaders like Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft. In January of 2023, Nadella had the difficult task of announcing the removal of 10,000 jobs from Microsoft worldwide. His letter to employees is a paradigm of clarity and honesty in a time of turbulence.
Nadella’s communication strategy is also shared with the company in the form of spreading communication skills by encouraging and funding personal and professional growth. He explains how he brought his own communication style to his leadership and encourages you to find your own leadership style.
Why Is Communication Important in Leadership?
What is so important about effective leadership communication, anyway? Well, the benefits of good communication are well known, as are the detriments of poor communication.
On the benefits side, it starts with increased productivity. Clear communication of project goals will align team members, prevent miscommunications between them, and reduce the need for repeated work. Any misunderstandings that do occur can be addressed and resolved quickly if an environment of transparency and honesty has been established through prior good communication as modeled by a leader.
All of this can lead to improved employee morale because employees will be aligned in their work, feel valued when leaders communicate transparently, and feel safe to come to a leader to discuss mistakes or problems.
However, there are plenty of detriments to poor communication. If leaders don’t exhibit effective leadership communication, then engagement could drop due to a lack of clarity surrounding their role or the goals of the company. This can cascade into decreased productivity, brought on by miscommunications that lead to errors or delays—costing the company’s bottom line.
How Can We Enhance Leadership Communication Skills?
There are plenty of ways to develop your leadership potential, but none is more important than leadership communication training. As you train or prepare yourself for training, follow these steps:
- Assess Your Communication Skills & Style
Everything starts with self-awareness—awareness of our current skill level, of our gaps, and of where we want to end up as leaders who communicate well. By understanding the communication skills in leadership we already have, we can see where we need to go and make a plan to get there.
- Practice Active Listening
Before we can transmit, we need to learn to absorb. Practice active listening techniques such as repeating back information to ensure you have it right and actually listening, not just waiting for your turn to speak. After the conversation is over, reflect on the person’s communication style. Did they make you feel safe? Was their messaging clear and concise? Learning from others can help us adopt new skills and styles of leadership communication.
- Practice Empathy
Empathy is critical in communication because we need to meet people where they are. This means tailoring your message to what they need. After all, you wouldn’t speak to a room of fifth-graders the same way you would a room of CEOs. Show people that you understand them, and they will better understand you.
Diplomacy can mean many things, but mostly, it means being transparent (encompassing both honesty and being forthcoming), being fair (a.k.a. aiming for the same clear communication with everyone at all levels), and making people feel safe when they communicate with you (e.g., they’re not afraid to come to you when a mistake happens).
- Concentrate on Non-Verbal Communication
When judging non-verbal communication, humans often look to three elements: context, clusters, and congruence. “Context” comprises the environmental, mental, and emotional expectations of the conversation. “Clusters” references groupings of gestures and body positioning that we examine to determine overall mood. And “Congruence” refers to how closely the non-verbal signals match the verbal tone and words. Purposefully practicing non-verbal communication in these aspects will improve communication overall.
6. Take a Professional Course
In courses like those from Dale Carnegie, you will learn how to go from crafting the right attitude to gaining knowledge to practicing abilities to knowing that skill well. Then, the cycle starts all over again because learning is never one-and-done.
- Encourage Feedback
Just as learning is not one-and-done, neither is self-evaluation or gaining feedback. Once you have gained and been practicing better leadership communication skills, then you need to ask others how you’re doing. Be open to feedback, don’t get defensive, and especially ensure there are no repercussions for honesty.
- Learn & Use Technology
Today, much of how we communicate at work happens through technology—emails, messaging systems, video calls, etc. All of these mediums have benefits and detriments. It’s critical when developing good communication skills to learn and use these systems properly. This is especially critical in the age of AI technologies.
Start Your Journey to Better Communication Skills
Effective leadership starts with good communication. If you want to become a better communicator, join the Dale Carnegie Course or explore other courses at dalecarnegie.com. Reach out today!