Page 20 - PR Communication Age - JUNE 2016
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fail to motivate due to lack of effective communication
skills. History is galore with examples of many national lead-
ers who have moved the masses by their life-changing
speeches and powerful writings! Abraham Lincoln and
Martin Luther King Jr. are prominent examples of outstand-
ing leadership through effective communication.
What qualities are essential to qualify for effective selves take initiative in working towards that vision. In short,
communication? through his leadership qualities and communication, a
leader should be able to inspire other people to work for
Effective leadership communication skills are a must in any him.
leader to sustain his/her leadership. In the corporate world
today, a leader communicates with a number of people on Requisite qualities of a leader in commu-
a daily basis, such as his subordinates, clients, media per- nication:
sons, shareholders, investors, etc. The success of any leader
in dealing, negotiating, and working with all these people Communication must be clear and consistent. Whether a
depends a lot on his interpersonal skills. person/leader/in-charge of a Department - anyone who is
communicating with clients, his subordinates, or with me-
If he is able to form a kind of connection with the people dia people to promote the company's products, it is impor-
he interacts with, though his gestures, his body languages tant that a leader is very clear on what he is speaking. Also,
the way the leader communicates and presents himself, he he should be consistent in his opinions and avoid being con-
can accomplish a lot more. Let us know the communica- tradictory as this instills trust in the audience. The more
tion and leadership skills one needs to possess which will clear and consistent a leader is in his communication, the
convert a leader a 'people's person'. more he is understood and trusted.
Have you ever given it a thought as to why do people think
that political figures like Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and
industry stalwarts, like Richard Brandon and Bill Gates, are
great leaders? It is because all of them possess this great
quality of connecting with people at some level, with the
way they communicate.
Through the words they speak, their gestures, body lan- Epitomize Model Behavior:
guage, and the way they maintain eye contact, they are
able to convey a feeling to other people. They have this Effective communication skills have a direct bearing on the
uncanny ability to make people feel special through their way subordinates behave and communicate. So, if a leader
communication! And that's what differentiates successful wants his staff to be transparent, respectful, trustworthy,
leaders from others. and open in their communication with one another and with
company's clients, he should model the same behavior. The
Every organization, whether political or economic, has a way a leader interacts with his clients, his subordinates are
goal. There are some set of values, strategies, and proce- to follow suit.
dures, which every one working in it has to follow, in order
to reach that goal. The onus on making people in the orga- Be A Good Listener:
nization realizes that the goals are important and so are
they, lies totally on the leader. A leader should have excellent listening skills. Communica-
tion is not just about talking, a lot of it is about listening
He should convey his and his organization's vision in a very and understanding as well. If others feel that the leader
clear, confident and compelling way so that people them- understands them, they will be more forthcoming and open
in their opinions, feelings, and thoughts while conversing
with him, which is a very positive sign for any organization.
20 PR COMMUNICATION AGE June 2016
