The Importance of Communication for Leaders

If you want to be a leader, you MUST be able to communicate and communicate well. It is what leaders do. If you cannot tell people what you want and what you expect from them, then you cannot be a leader. It is that simple.

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”

George Bernard Shaw

When I talk about communication skills, I am talking about the complete package. I include verbal and non-verbal skills, written communications and listening skills. 

As a leader you must be comfortable communicating with people verbally, which also includes your non-verbal communication skills. That is verbally communicating with people one on one or to a group of people, in person and over the phone, or virtual meetings. You must be confident, use vocabulary correctly, pronounce your words clearly and be easily understood. Just as important as what you say and how you communicate is the non-verbal messages you are sending. A good communicator, and leader, maintains good posture, does not cross their arms, makes excellent eye contact, and is not distracted by the outside environment (other people, cell phones, looking at your watch, etc.). At that moment you need to make the person you are communicating with feel as if they are the only thing going on in your life.

I get people, especially young people, who tell me they just don’t think they can get in front of people and talk. When they tell me this, I say two things to them. First, if you really cannot stand in front of people and tell them what you want them to do and to what standard then you CANNOT be a leader. Second, I tell them YES YOU CAN.  I explain that communicating is a skill, just like riding a bike. I am sure everyone fell off their bike when they first started learning how to ride. I know I did; I still have scars from when I was a kid and fell off my bike. Learning to communicate is just like learning how to ride a bike, or any other skill you must learn. You will fall down a few times, but each time you will get better and better at it. If you really want to be a leader, you will learn how to communicate and communicate well.

Written communication skills are just as important. When I discuss written communication skills I talk about memorandums, letters, e-mail messages and text messages. Written communications from you and the people in your organization reflect directly on your organization, within your organization and outside your organization. Make sure that you and your people are using complete sentences, proper grammar, spelling things correctly and using appropriate language. 

If you want to be a good leader, then you must decide to master the art of communication. You can do this!