(Forbes first published my article here.)
Now that corporations call all employees leaders, how can you tell the real ones from the pretenders? Examine your own leadership skills, and also evaluate what you read and hear from other “leaders” with the following guidelines:
Nowhere do we hear more misinformation than from our politicians. Look no further than the transcript from the latest stump speech to find inaccuracies that fall into several categories:
Once you earn the reputation of being a truth-teller—whether good or bad truth—accuracy about “the facts” earns respect. And respect ratchets up your chances that people will follow you as a leader.
If you have kids, you know how this dialogue ends:
Child: Maria invited me for a sleepover Friday night? May I go?
Parent: No, I don’t think that’s going to work.
Child: Why not?
Parent: It just won’t. We have other plans.
Child: What plans? I don’t have plans.
You know kids will whine until you give an understandable reason. Bosses, peers, clients, and staff are no different. People respond to plausible reasons.
When you’re not forthcoming about reasons for policies, plans, projects, or procedures, imaginations run wild. None of which will be favorable to you as the mysterious leader.
We hear politicians spouting polling data that presents them in a favorable light. Never mind that polling date may be three weeks old. And we all know that polling data changes week to week—and sometimes, day to day.
Likewise, managers often get caught up in the trap of hanging on to past, favorable results, despite outcomes from more current projects. Governmental agencies withhold data until the cause-and-effect becomes totally obscured or at least “overcome by events.”
Whether in engineering or human resources, real leaders need to be up to the minute in how they measure and what they report.
Three key components of clear communication: 1) Direct phrasing. 2) Structure. 3) Timing.
Some organizations value team harmony over clear, direct feedback. And as long as that’s the case, innovation will stall. Until individuals and teams learn to accept clear, direct communication without become defensive, they cannot grow.
As clarity relates to email writing and presentations, structure (not necessarily details) affects understanding of any concept or information. Your readers or listeners grasp your message more quickly when you give an overview before launching into details. (The inclination is often to provide “background” details before stating the point.)
But that’s backward. People need to understand your point before they can grasp and sort the details. So clearly state your conclusion or proposal before you circle back to fill in details.
Finally, timing affects how clearly and quickly your readers and listeners interpret your message. Timing, of course, refers to both the physical timing and the emotional timing. Announcing a pending layoff just before explaining a new initiative ensures that listeners will not be focusing on the goal while they wait for the proverbial “other shoe to fall” about their future with the organization.
If you intend to be understood, avoid technobabble. Unfortunately, some professionals have learned that if you couch an idea in enough jargon, nobody will understand what you mean. Therefore, they get no questions or pushback.
Gobble-de-gook may be expected in today’s workplace, but it’s rarely respected. Simple ideas deserve simple, straightforward language.
When Covid hit the workplace, almost everything changed—from office to remote work, to ill-defined expectations for productivity, to the review process, to the appropriate method of peer-to-peer and boss-to-employee communication channels. References to “empathetic leadership” became ubiquitous.
But showing concern for others is not a new concept brought on by the ravages of Covid and its aftermath in the workplace. In fact, empathy is as old as the Golden Rule.
How do leaders demonstrate concern? Listening. Asking questions to show interest. Being approachable. Using respectful language—even during conflict or disagreement. Setting policies that show concern and respect to all involved.
Competent leaders deliver results, not excuses. The essence of leadership is solid communication. Competent leaders exhibit mastery in basic communication skills that they use daily to get work done through other people: writing skills, public-speaking skills, meeting facilitation, conflict resolution, negotiation skills—from deadlines to desirable outcomes.
Sometimes the difference between motivation and disengagement comes down to the personal presence of the person leading the charge. Do others trust you personally? That trust will flow from a combination of the following:
Answers to these questions tell you how personally credible others believe you to be.
Taken together, these 8 communication strategies or guidelines form the guardrails that create real leaders and keep them successful over the long term.
Learn more strategies in Communicate Like a Leader: Connecting Strategically to Coach, Inspire, and Get Things Done
