When looking at successful leaders, one thing they all have in common is their incredible communication skills. Whether they’re developed early in their career or later, maintaining the habits that are paramount to establishing communication is going to be necessary for learning to communicate effectively. Below are some communication habits of great leaders.
Listen with intention
When you’re in a conversation with someone, one thing that’s so incredibly important is listening effectively. This can come in a couple of different ways:
- Speak clearly and slowly
- Listen with purpose
- Repeat back points you heard to get confirmation
Asking questions can also help show that you’re listening to what others tell you. Questions to show that you’re practicing active listening can help you immensely. These questions can be asked in a couple of different ways:
- Am I understanding correctly?
- Does everyone understand this?
- Are we both on the same page?
Active listening is an incredibly important tool for you to practice, as it avoids conversations that leave you unsure of what someone is saying. When less is lost in translation, you can get more done.
Don’t pass judgment
Successful leaders are able to communicate with others without projecting their feelings onto a situation. These leaders are focused on helping others through their problems without making the situation about themselves. Every great leader wants to see their employees succeed, and being able to listen to your employees and make suggestions that are objective can help your coworkers or employees view you as someone they can be open and honest with.
Stay in the moment
Being present is one of the most important parts of being an excellent communicator. Using your body language, voice, and posture to help ensure that the person you’re speaking to knows that you’re engaged is an incredibly important tool. This can be as simple as making eye contact, joining the discussion, or expressing interest in what people are saying. When people know you’re listening, they’re more likely to come and talk to you.
Find a genuine interest in what people are saying
While being present is great, that’s not the only thing that you should focus on. All of the aspects of being present will more than likely happen naturally if you show people that you’re genuinely interested in what they’re saying. People want to talk to people that are sincerely interested in what they’re talking about. Great leaders have the ability to talk to everyone and find bits and pieces of things that they sincerely admire and that interest them.
Communication and leadership often go hand in hand. These are just a few tips you can keep in mind when looking to nurture communication habits as a leader.