What Excellent Leader Communication Looks Like

What does excellent leader communication feel like?

It's common for my clients to be told they need to improve their communication skills. Problem is, they don't even know how to begin that process, or what exactly that looks like.

A leader has three basic communication jobs: Instruct, Inform, Inspire.

Excellent communication has a lot to do with the way people feel around you. (Discover the Feel/Know/Do communication tool.)

A successful leader wears three different communication hats at different times: communication coach, public relations agent, and event planner.

Here's a list of excellent communication behaviors to get you started.

Speak often and briefly (think 15-30 seconds)

Ask better questions (not all open questions that escape down a rabbit hole of ambiguity, nor too many closed questions that could resemble a Mossad interrogation)

Make fewer solution statements early in the conversation

Express points in a sentence or two (making it easier to repeat them) 

Summarize throughout the conversation (this checks for understanding, validates and corroborates)

Sincerely invite others to share their views

 Unless relaying a decision, present views after others have had their chance to speak

Actively omit fillers like ‘you know’ and ‘uh’ from your daily conversations

Do not speak too rapidly or too forcefully

Simplify word choices and sentence structure

Emphasize key take-aways

Be emotionally astute

Want help putting these into practice? Want to have a healthier team culture? Let's chat!

Photo by BBH Singapore on Unsplash