Principles of Leadership Part 5:

Leading by Communication

In my experience, communication is the foundation of leadership…of ANY good relationship.  If you can’t communicate effectively then you will be limited in your ability to impact others. Not only should you listen, but you need to be able to effectively communicate your needs in a way that allows those you lead to be successful in what you want them to do.  It is essential to learn the skill of leading by communication.

Here are a few tips to effective communication:

1.   Listen to the person you are talking to and then make sure you understand by rephrasing it and repeating it back to them. Then you can move forward with a solution if needed. Of
2.   Do not interrupt.
3.   When you email use a friendly greeting, efficiently answer or ask the question at hand, and use simple language. The goal of an email should be to answer all the questions at hand with the least amount of words possible.
4.   Offer a few specific solutions instead of making a blanket statement.
5.   Keep in touch with your people. Consistency makes a huge difference in eliminating issues before they become a bigger problem.
6.   Respond in a timely manner.
7.   Act the way you expect other to act. The old adage “show me, don’t tell me” is especially important in communication. Are you interrupting expecting someone to listen? Do you assume things before they’ve said their bit?

Communication is a practiced skill and so is leading by communication! Evaluate your ability and find ways to improve. You can do this!

– Jess