Communication
What is it?
Communication is a critical leadership skill. It is essential in providing clarity, setting expectations, decision making, negotiation, developing relationships and in reassuring and inspiring others. Our communication is verbal and non-verbal. Our non-verbal behavior can say a lot about the degree to which we are present and show presence.
Communication often shows up as a skill for improvement, based from feedback or our desire as leaders to be an effective communicator in a range of settings.
Our ability to communicate determines:
The level of understanding we have (of self, in relationship, and as an organization)
Perception
Clarifying situations, expectations, goals and actions
The quality of decision making and plans
Building trust
Developing effective relationships
Building understanding and insights
Raising productivity
Providing clarity
The energy levels and motivations of others
Overall, effective communication is essential for leaders who want to lead high performing teams who are inspired to reach goals. Communicating effectively helps produce this environment, and when we communicate effectively in various modalities (e.g. 1:1, with senior leadership, presenting on stage, operating meetings, across cultures) it displays a broad range of skills that help solidify us as talented leaders.
How might you develop it?
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. Frequently, there is feedback that we can improve our communication. It’s often stated as a reason for a leader to work with an executive coach. Sometimes the feedback is clear and constructive, and sometimes it’s unclear or biased – e.g. John needs to be a more assertive communicator, might be an observation and recommendation, but if not explored more deeply could be something that we wrestle with because we have a different point of view, or we want to be faithful to a learned style that we have that is part of our make – up or authenticity.
Here's how I work with leaders to elevate their communication:
Observation: in – person or recorded coverage of a leader communicating in group settings
Preparing for key communication moments
Conducting an inventory of how well we feel we communicate in various situations
Stakeholder interviews to explore how others interpret and respond to our communication (style)
Reviewing new recordings and discussing situations, so we can gauge progress
I encourage identifying leaders and their communication habits that we can emulate or be inspired by to hone our own styles. Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber is a master of telling stories and providing context to all levels in an organization. When I worked at Expedia I was struck at how incredible he is at aligning everyone, with a knack for the right level of detail, delivered so clearly. He told me that what was behind this was the skill he developed as an engineer to simplify the complex.
Here's some book suggestions you might find useful:
"Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action" by Simon Sinek - This book examines how great leaders communicate their vision and values in a way that inspires others to take action
"Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't" by Simon Sinek - This book explores how leaders can communicate effectively to create a culture of trust, collaboration, and mutual support among team members
"Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World's Top Minds" by Carmine Gallo - This book examines the communication techniques used by some of the world's most successful leaders and public speakers, offering practical tips and advice for communicating with impact
"Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High" by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler - This book offers a framework for communicating effectively in high-stress, high-stakes situations, such as conflict resolution or negotiation
"The Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional and Personal Life" by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander - This book explores how leaders can use effective communication to inspire creativity, collaboration, and innovation among team members, offering practical strategies for reframing challenges and fostering a positive mindset
"When Cultures Collide: Leading Across Cultures" by Richard D. Lewis - This book offers practical advice for leaders who want to communicate effectively across cultures, exploring the cultural dimensions of different countries and regions and offering strategies for building relationships with people from different backgrounds
"The Culture Map: Breaking Through the Invisible Boundaries of Global Business" by Erin Meyer - This book examines the cultural differences that can impact communication and collaboration in global business settings, offering practical tools and frameworks for navigating cultural differences and building effective cross-cultural teams
"Communicating Across Cultures" by Stella Ting-Toomey - This book offers a theoretical framework for understanding the impact of culture on communication, exploring the cultural values and norms that can impact communication across different contexts and offering practical strategies for improving cross-cultural communication
"The Silent Language" by Edward T. Hall - This classic book explores the nonverbal cues and cultural norms that can impact communication across cultures, offering insights into how to interpret and navigate cultural differences in communication
"Cross-Cultural Management: Essential Concepts" by David C. Thomas and Mark F. Peterson - This book offers a comprehensive overview of the challenges and opportunities of cross-cultural communication in the context of global business, exploring the cultural dimensions of communication and offering practical tools and strategies for building effective cross-cultural teams