4 Communication Skills For Top Leaders
by Tramelle D Jones, TDJ Consulting & Career Services
It's clear, communication is a key part of success at work and in other parts of daily life. You’ll notice that top leaders make it a priority to practice and master the skills that enable them to communicate so well. If this isn’t your strength, nothing is holding you back from practicing these strategies until you feel confident!
Here are 4 strategies to practice essential communication skills:
1: Utilize Active Listening.
Top leaders have learned to practice “Active Listening” as a crucial part of communication. Active listening is the practice of listening to understand rather than formulating a response while the other person is talking. It means you’re gathering information from the person's verbal signals, body language, and asking clarifying questions to demonstrate that you fully understand their point of view. Try to fully pay attention during a conversation instead of being distracted by your phone or other devices. Have one conversation at a time to give each person your full attention. Practice repeating the person’s story in your mind to get better at listening. Everyone wants to be heard. Others will notice that you’re listening to them and will go away from your conversations thinking what a great communicator you are when all you did was listen.
2: Focus on being brief.
Top leaders know that you don’t have to make a long speech to be effective. Practice being brief and getting your point across with fewer words and less time. People appreciate brief conversations and respect others who don’t go off on tangents. However, ensure you’re still providing enough information while you talk. You don’t want to be vague or miss important details. This skill may take time to develop, so practice it often. The next time you have a conversation, try to get your point across with less talking. Try to summarize the important parts and only focus on them while you talk.
3: Pay attention to others’ emotions.
When you talk, take note of how the other person is reacting. Words are powerful, and communication can affect people in many different ways. You may want to learn psychology to understand emotions better.
Show sympathy and empathy when it’s appropriate during a conversation. Look at things from the other person’s point of view without criticism or judgment.
4: Be charismatic.
Communication is easier for charismatic people, but you can learn this skill. One of the most important aspects of charisma is confidence, but not arrogance or self-righteousness. Confident communicators know their value and worth, but they’re also respectful of others. Another facet of charisma is optimism, and it’s also a big part of communication. Even if you’re having a difficult conversation, focus on something positive. Top leaders are good at finding the silver lining. Charismatic communicators are interesting, but they also share interesting information with others. They focus on innovation and new ideas that give people a spark. You can learn to communicate more effectively by following these tips from top leaders. Practice these skills as often as possible. You’ll have many opportunities each day. Every time you have a conversation with anyone it’s an opportunity to practice a little more. The more you practice the more you’ll build confidence in your communication skills and leadership ability.
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Please note that the blogpost above does not represent the thoughts or opinions of Fresh Start Registry and solely represents the original author’s perspective.