John Eades* says no one can aspire to great leadership until they first work on becoming a great communicator.
Leadership, like life, is a journey and not a destination.
Now I must emphasise one point before you start reading this column that will attempt to make you a better leader.
Writing and doing are two different things.
Yes, I have spent the last 10-plus years of my career studying what the best and worst leaders do, then transferring those lessons to myself and others.
However, I have struggled mightily to apply many of these lessons daily.
Instead of crushing my soul and believing I am not meant to be a great leader, it’s convinced me to constantly look at the journey of becoming a better leader rather than just arriving as one.
I have learned that the closer you get to being a truly authentic leader, the less you feel like one.
In many things, ignorance can be bliss, but not in leadership.
There is nothing worse than a manager who isn’t self-aware of their shortcomings as a leader. It’s caused more professionals to leave an organisation or profession than any other factor.
Don’t believe me? A recent study found a staggering 79 per cent of employees will quit after receiving inadequate appreciation from their managers.
There are many talents and skills leaders must develop and demonstrate to be effective over time.
Our research indicates building trust, having empathy, establishing a vision, giving recognition, and coaching others are essential.
However, communicating effectively is at the top of the list.
It could be as simple as writing an email, giving a presentation, sending a text, or turning on your listening ears.
Regardless of the type of communication, the key is that you’re effective at it.
I like to think of it as the essential rule of leadership: “If you struggle with communication, you will never reach your potential as a leader.”
The key to successful leadership is elevating others.
So the problem with not reaching your potential as a leader is you won’t be helping others achieve theirs.
There are a lot of gifted orators with silver tongues and unmistakable mannerisms, yet there are many professionals who clam at the thought of delivering a presentation.
Regardless of the camp you are in, or somewhere in between, there is one communication mistake anyone is susceptible to make: That is demanding and downloading, not inspiring.
The word ‘inspire’ means ‘to breathe life into’.
You can’t breathe life into someone or get someone else to take any action they wouldn’t otherwise take if you don’t get past their mind and into their heart.
I was reminded of this truth in a conversation with a talented therapist, Kimberly Mengel.
She said: “The heart is the wellspring of life.”
It’s stuck with me for some time now because I have repeatedly seen when leaders fail in their communication, they never get to their people’s hearts.
There are all kinds of tactics and strategies to become a more effective communicator.
Instead of going into the depths of storytelling or the three Cs of successful communication, I want you to turn your attention to two things.
How much you speak
Being an exceptional listener is the key to being a great communicator.
Your goal as a leader shouldn’t be to tell people what to do. It should be to help them determine what to do and what can be done to implement it.
This means speaking less and asking better questions.
Be more transparent
All too often, when there are things leaders must say to people, they avoid the topic or sugar-coat it in a way the truth never comes out.
Instead, opt for more transparency. This implies openness and accountability.
I asked a seasoned executive, Robert Quesnel why leaders aren’t transparent, and what he said moved me.
“Many leaders aren’t transparent because they are insecure narcissists and lack confidence in themselves,” he said.
Too many leaders hide behind the shield their title provides instead of being transparent and telling the truth.
The best part of communication is that you get endless opportunities every day to work on improving.
I hope some of these ideas inspire you to evaluate how much you speak and how transparent you are in an effort to apply them on your leadership journey.
*John Eades is the Chief Executive of LearnLoft a leadership development company. He is also the host of the Follow My Lead podcast. He can be contacted at johneades.com.
This article first appeared at johneades.com.
