Communication - the Key to Effective Leadership

Leadership is an all-encompassing word that means different things to different people. Nonetheless, it is generally perceived to be a process of social influence in which a person, or a group of people, enlists the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task or goal. The mention of the word “leadership” easily paints a myriad of pictures in our minds - pictures of confidence, courage, integrity, honesty, vision, focus, humility and indeed so much more. However, if there ever was a quality, a factor that set apart a great leader from a mediocre one, that factor would be effective communication.

If we took a quick look at the lives of great leaders in different spheres of life and fields of endeavour such as sports, politics, business, and even the military, we would easily find that every one of them was an effective communicator. To achieve extraordinary success in leadership, we not only require a clear vision of our goals and objectives, we also need to know how to communicate these objectives to our followers and subordinates effectively. Our values must - as a matter of necessity - be clear and solid. What we say must therefore promote these values. In order to achieve unparalleled success in leadership, one must master the art of effective communication, because when one's team knows and understands one's goals, not only is admiration earned, teamwork becomes virtually seamless!

We must realise that though verbal communication is the most obvious form of communication, research has shown that people pay much less attention to the words that are said than to the actions and nonverbal cues that accompany those words. Nonverbal cues include facial expressions, use of hand motions, body posture and eye movements. As leaders, we should strive to always match our nonverbal cues to our words. Doing so only makes us more authentic, believable and trustworthy.

A good leader adapts his communication style to his audience. One may need to have a much more direct style when speaking to a group of followers than when speaking to another. Leaders need to identify their audience, their characteristics and interests, and then adjust their communication style based not just on what the audience needs, but also on what will encourage them to meet the goals of the communication.

A vital aspect of communication is the ability to listen. Active listening should always be a goal, with the leader focusing on both the verbal and nonverbal language of whoever is speaking. Active listening involves concentrating entirely on the speaker and consequently ignoring outside interruptions, including the listener's own wandering thoughts about possible responses. Active listeners refrain as much as possible from interrupting, give the speaker time to finish speaking, show they are listening by nodding or smiling, and reflect or paraphrase to affirm their comprehension.

Leaders must realise that their followers look to them as models of how they should behave under certain circumstances. Followers tend to emulate how they see leaders acting and communicating. When leaders are open to the ideas of others and praise them, followers will tend to follow suit. When speaking, leaders should therefore consider whether they would want their followers to speak in the same way they do. If they would not, then there is need for a change in their communication style.

It should not be forgotten that communication is always a two-way process. It is never sufficient to simply speak clearly and concisely; from the feedback received, one must also ensure that one is being perfectly understood as well.

So how can you become a more effective communicator overall?

1. Prepare how you intend to communicate. Clarify the goal of the communication. Plan carefully before delivery and anticipate the receiver’s viewpoint and feelings.
2. Deliver the message expressing your meaning with as much conviction as possible. Relate the message to your larger goals, identify the action to be taken and confirm that the other person understands.
3. Receive feedback with an open mind. Confirm you have understood it well. Identify key points in the message. Value constructive feedback and use it to grow.
4. Evaluate the effectiveness of the communication afterwards and take corrective actions as necessary.

Effective communication skills do not come naturally to most people, and many a leader needs to practice repeatedly in order to improve their communication skills. In addition to practising, you could consider professional courses or training to sharpen your communication skills.

So, in summary, regardless of the position of leadership you may find yourself occupying - the President of the world's most powerful nation, or maybe just the head of a two-person team in a simple community task - you must harness the power of effective communication to be an effective leader.