According to research conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit, poor communication can result in low morale, missed performance objectives, and even lost revenue. Thus, it is of paramount importance that workplace leaders are equipped with effective communication skills to empower employees and ultimately guide them in the right direction towards organisational success.
If you are looking to sharpen and enhance your leadership capabilities, here are 6 must-have communication skills you need to be an excellent leader.
1. Active listening
An often-overlooked aspect of communication, active listening plays a crucial role in building trust with your employees. Effective leaders not only know how to talk, but also how to actively listen. By demonstrating that you value and care about your employees’ feedback, ideas, and opinions, you are creating a safe and comfortable environment for employees to reach out to you whenever they are faced with challenges or have an amazing idea to pitch.
2. Empathy
There are plenty of reasons why empathy is an essential leadership skill. True leaders have a natural regard for their workers and their company, and they recognise the power of storytelling to connect with and engage them, as well as build empathy within the company. Employees will feel more heard and appreciated if you improve your ability to recognise and understand their feelings. When people feel heard and valued, they are more likely to feel motivated to do their absolute best for the company.
3. Positive non-verbal communication
There is more to communication than what you say. More often than not, it is how you carry yourself. In fact, research has shown that a shocking 93% of communication’s impact comes from non-verbal communication!
Employees closely observe their leaders, which is why it is important for you to pay close attention to your body language. Even seemingly simple gestures such as maintaining eye contact, flashing a genuine smile, or nodding in agreement can help to convey trust, warmth and interest to your employees.
To learn how to perfect your body language, consider signing up for Aventis Learning Group’s The Secret of Interpreting Body Language Masterclass.
4. The ability to ask questions
The ability to ask open-ended questions can help workplace leaders understand their employees’ thoughts, goals, views, and motivations better. This is especially so for employees who may not be the most outspoken. Asking the right questions can help you uncover challenges that your employees may be facing and, in turn, generate solutions to resolve these issues – which is exactly how you can help to unlock your employees’ true potential!
5. Transparency
Transparent leaders attempt to practise what they preach, setting clear standards and communicating effectively on a regular basis. This necessitates a desire and willingness to be open and honest with your teams, as well as humility and vulnerability.
By speaking openly about the company’s direction, goals, and even challenges, leaders can foster an environment where employees are kept in the loop of what is going on and feel comfortable sharing their ideas. This helps to create a space that encourages collaboration and active problem-solving, which can help take the organisation to greater heights.
6. Clarity
Be specific when communicating – define the desired end goal of a project and be clear about what is expected of your employees. The clearer you are, the less likely misunderstandings will arise. Employees will be much more involved in the process when they know exactly what they should work towards.
If the goals you have set out for your employees are not being achieved, you may consider simplifying your message even further or asking how you could offer assistance.
Conclusion
Excellent leadership requires effective communication. As a leader, you must be able to cultivate empathy and honesty, as well as understand how people perceive you through your vocal and nonverbal clues, if you wish to influence and inspire your team to perform at their fullest potential.
To enhance your communication skills and become a better leader, consider signing up for an online course in Singapore with Aventis Learning Group. We are a multi-award-winning provider of in-house training and courses.
Having conducted over 600 seminars, certification courses and professional courses annually since our establishment in 2008, we are fully committed to providing the best training courses in niche areas for working professionals to constantly upgrade their skills and keep up with the ever-changing industry.
Check out our selection of online e-learning courses here.
