“Communication is key.” It’s a statement we hear so often, it borders on cliche. Well, in the workplace, the power of communication can never be overstated.
It can be overwhelming to think about all the different ways and different reasons we are required to communicate to be successful leaders.
What if we looked at competencies we can leverage across all types of communication?
That’s what we’re going to do in this episode, as we dig into the many layers of communication that work amazingly well together.
Great leaders are great communicators and understand the value of having a depth of different communication competencies. - Jen Thornton
0:00:00.9 S2: To lead is to communicate, and there are countless ways to do it every single day.
0:00:09.8 S1: Welcome back, friends. This is your place or cutting edge tools, exercises, best practices and modern leadership strategies, because in the world is changing, it's time to bring our leadership styles along for the right, whether you're a company leader, a corporate visionary and Entrepreneur, This show gives you new insights into the neuroscience and a language of leadership plus practical steps and tips to lead your team in a powerful way to also help you keep your people happy, can engage all while achieving your biggest goals. I'm your host, Jen Horn in the talent strategist, the brain-based executive coach, speaker and the founder of three of our coaching. Now, let's fix leadership.
0:00:53.4 S2: So let's count the ways we communicate, if that's even possible, let's see, we are building relationships or managing conflicts, communicating projects, holding others accountable, selling ideas, gaining approvals, coaching and developing our teams or no. Negotiating resources, providing feedback, and the list goes on and on and on and on and on. It's great to spend time digging into each of these types of communication skills needed, but what if for today's time, we look at competencies that you can leverage across all types of communication needs. I personally love learning things that I can use in multiple areas, and then... I hope you do too. So one of those competencies that we can use across all types of is active listening, it's one of the most fundamental yet frequently overlook competencies. Great leaders really understand the value of attention, listening to their team members, their peers, their friends, their vendors or work partners, everyone really that we're talking to, you've got to be attuned to active listening, because active listening, it provides a space where you're giving undivided attention, you're empathizing you're seeking to understand other people's perspectives and concerns of other people by practicing active listening, leaders really foster a culture of open communication, they build more trust, they gain valuable insight that can help them make better decisions.
0:02:30.7 S2: Active listing also allows you to ask the right questions at the right time, and this is important because questions allow you to go deeper into what you're learning or allows you to listen more, it really helps us double-click on the conversation, and if you need ideas on questions to ask and great questions. Go back a few episodes. There are two specific episodes that have specific questions, all I stand out for you to use... The other thing that great communicators do is they provide clarity, and today's world just has way too much information in it, and leaders must adapt and distill complex ideas into clear and concise messages, the ability to communicate with precision, avoid all the jargon and all the super small technical details, it's critical, because by delivering information an easy digestible manner, you ensure that the message is understood by a diverse audience and can really inspire action, clear and concise communication also minimizes the risk of misinterpretation and fosters a culture of transparency and accountability. Let's all face it, being confused at work is no fun, it waste mental resources, money, resources, physical resources, and it can cause burn out. One of the best ways of providing clarity is to ask yourself before an important conversation or an important presentation at the end of this, what do I want this person to learn, maybe approve, do change? Agree to knowing the answer to this question before you start preparing to communicate will give you clarity, and when you have clarity, it is obviously easier to provide clarity to us.
0:04:25.1 S1: Let's take a quick break from the conversation, does your company need to prepare those upcoming leaders to take the rain to learn more about our leadership academies and our coaching, and to see if your company is a good fit for our transformation program? Is it three or four? Coaching do. Let's talk about emotional intelligence.
0:04:47.8 S2: It is a critical competency for leaders, particularly in communication, exceptional leaders recognize the importance of understanding and managing their own emotions, as well as empathizing with the emotions of others, when you harness emotional intelligence, you can navigate sensitive situations, you can adapt your communication style to the person you're working with, and you really are creating a supportive and inclusive work environment, this competency enables you to build stronger relationships, resolve conflicts quicker and really inspire your team. And today's world, we have to lead the full person, life is dynamic, the best leaders understand this and know how to lead and communicate the whole person. One of my favorite quotes out there is by Viola Davis, and she says, your career is always happening this same time as your life is happening. What about authenticity and transparency? They are really valued by others, so when you are focused on authenticity, do you provide value to the value to those you're communicating with leaders who can genuinely express their thoughts, their values or vulnerabilities? They build that trust and credibility. Authentic leaders are not afraid to share both and failures, therefore, they foster a culture that encourages innovation, risk taking and continuous improvement, transparent communication, cultivation of ownership, Foster's alignment and strengthens the commitment of the individual towards the company goals.
0:06:35.2 S2: Being open allows you to learn and grow when your authentic... You are growing, and when you are growing, others will be able to learn and grow from you to... And the last one I wanna talk about today is storytelling and influencing, create leaders possess ability to story-tell, they create narratives that resonate with the audience, storytelling is a powerful tool and engages emotions, inspires action that communicate complex ideas and memorable ways, and by weaving a narrative around the vision, the strategies, leaders captivate their audience, they drive their teams towards a common purpose, additionally, effective persuasion skills enabled leaders to influence stakeholders, negotiate win-win solutions, and build strategic partnerships by leveraging all the other competencies we've spoken about today, like active listening, clarity, emotional intelligence, your storytelling and influencing skills will also increase, though these are all individual competencies, we've talked about today, the whole is greater than the parts, improving your skills and one competency will allow you to naturally grow in the others. My challenge for you as we close up our time together today is pick one of these competencies and practice it throughout your conversations over the next few days, learn how this competency applies in different situations, where are you excelling and where do you want to grow your skill? Then take action.
0:08:18.7 S2: Strong communicators can weather storms, and typically are more effective leaders, strong communicators are working every day to help us fix leadership...
0:08:32.7 S1: Things for listening to Lexi leadership. By hanging out with me today, you're a party on your path, if you're looking to learn more and to see if your company is a good fit for our coaching and leadership education, and Hey, visit 3041 dot com if you got value on the podcast, share it with a friend, and it would mean the world to if you live a thoughtful review and a rating on iTunes, thanks again for listening, and I appreciate your work in fixing leadership.
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