Hi Doug: Effective Communication In Developing Leadership

This work is part one of an ongoing communications portfolio which will be expanded upon weekly. Barrett (2011) describes leadership communication as “the controlled, purposeful transfer of meaning...” (p. 6). The following is a self-assessment (Barrett, 2011, pp. 407-411) which will help gauge my current leadership communication abilities. Each area will be answered with either excel (master of skill) , competent (acceptable but could improve) or need to develop (needs attention).

“Developing excellent communication skills is absolutely essential to effective leadership. The leader must be able to share knowledge and ideas to transmit a sense of urgency and enthusiasm to others. If a leader can't get a message across clearly and motivate others to act on it, then having a message doesn't even matter."

1. As you take on leadership and management roles, communication becomes even more important. The higher you rise in an organization, the less time you will spend using the technical skills of your particular profession and the more time you will spend communicating. Top executives spend most of their time communicating, and businesspeople who cannot communicate well do not stand much chance of reaching the top.

Communication is “the process of relaying information between or among people by the use of words, letters, symbols, or body language” (Cherry & Jacob, 2011, p. 381). Communication is a two- way process; the message conveyed by the sender needs to be heard and understood by the receiver. It is important for “leaders to communicate regularly and consistently with staff” (Shifflet & Moyer, 2010, p. 252). Some

The single most important aspect of leadership, at any level, is effective communication, both written and verbal. It is imperative to provide clear, concise, and unmistakable instruction. We must constantly leverage and improve upon that skill. The ability to think critically and solve complex problems is extremely valuable, but is useless if the Officer cannot adequately communicate the solution(s) their subordinates. It is also a good policy to be a visable leader. This can be accomplished by attending training iterations and taking an active interest in our subordinates

Communication is key to the success and failure of most everything that we do, and that

What is communication? What is leadership communication? These are two definitions that will be answered in this paper. You will take an extensive look at how communication from the top of the food chain to the bottom impacts workforce and insight on different communicating qualities utilized by leaders and their effects. Explain why a leader must communicate effectively. Describe positive image and its relationship with effective leadership communication. Describe ethics and its relationship with effective leadership communication, importance of emotional intelligence, and importance of mindfulness

In “Great Communication Secrets of Great Leaders” John Baldoni identifies ways in which communication defines leadership. Communications defines leadership by developing and reinforcing the bond of trust, affirming the organizational vision, facilitating a two-way flow or information, creating the impetus for organization effectiveness, and driving results. All of these traits of communication are important for a leader to convey. They allow him or her to inform people, involve everyone, ignite people’s imaginations, and invite participants.

A key concept leadership must understand is communication. It is important to emphasize the significance of this concept, for within communication lies the success or failure of any form of leadership. Communication must be clear and concise. The basic principles of communication must be understood. Sender, receiver, and message. Leadership, specifically good leadership creates a culture free of reprisal and encourages communication feedback and input. Allowing feedback ensures that all involved understand what is being asked of them. Leadership understands those providing constructive feedback may see a better way. The potential to identify an overlooked issue or potential hazard may be realized during this exchange of information. Leadership must balance feedback, it is leadership who by observable action, and example set the ground rules for the tone and manner of communication and feedback. There are times when things just need to happen, and times when things are open to discussion. Too much discussion can yield the same results as too little. Leadership is possessing and understanding clear communication and listening skills. These concepts are the cornerstones of solid

It is essential for business leaders to have excellent verbal and non-verbal communication skills, as leaders are often a symbol of a company’s integrity and this affects not only how customers perceive the company, but also impacts the thoughts and actions of lower positioned employees. For example, a leader that speaks using improper grammar, or writes correspondence with spelling errors throughout it, could project a negative image that can be harmful to a company. Customers might conclude that the leader is incompetent and they might decide that they do not wish to purchase goods from a company that hires inept leaders. Furthermore, employees might become less apt to respect an authority that appears to be uneducated, as well as employees might feel that if the leader disregards using proper communication than it is not necessary for them to use it either. Business leaders need to know when to listen, when to talk, and how to share ideas effectively. Clear and concise communication states exactly how, who, what, and when and serves to guide, direct, protect, persuade, and to inform. Communication is essential for decreasing miscommunications and for increasing productivity, motivation, and efficiency. When someone uses effective communication, he or she is more apt to have favorable results and his or her requests will become granted more often. Furthermore, communication builds goodwill. Having excellent communication skills is

Strong leadership is critical to an organizations success. Leaders need to be honest, trustworthy, respected, and good communicators (Montana & Mitchell, 2005, p. 83). Effective communication is necessary to eliminate confusion. Think how the receiver will interpret the message that you are saying or writing. Effective communication can only occur when the receiver of the message understands what the sender is intending to say.

McShane and Von Glinow, 2010:360 argued that leadership is influencing, motivating, and enabling others to contribute toward the effectiveness and success of the organizations of which they are members. It is the dual focused management approach that works towards what is best for individuals and what is best for the group as a whole simultaneously. According to Kotter he suggested that leaders establish directions develop strategies influence others to follow energize people. Effective leadership builds on important underlying competencies such as the Self Awareness it sees things clearly and strengthen Analysis and problem Evaluation beyond the immediate and short term .Interpersonal Effectiveness based on listening and communication skills to increase understanding , motivation and commitment .Personal Conviction concerning possibilities and objectives with the resilience to overcome setbacks. In addition to setting clear direction, effective leaders develop employee competence by building self-belief and capability; support autonomy encourages employees to take control, build a culture based on positive relationships .The steps are anchored in meaningful activity and a sense of shared purpose, managers need to identify the steps that move employees from satisfied to motivated and then help people become fully engaged. Relationship management is increasingly important in organizations , effective leaders are aware of individual difference , but also work to

Communication would fall under the good listener category of being a leader. Communication is a key component to being a good listener because if you don’t communicate to whomever you are speaking with then some things might get lost in the process. The leader of a team will have to listen to their boss then relay the message to his or her team, and that’s where paraphrasing takes a good part in communication and listening skills. A good leader is always communicating with other leaders and trying to find out other good ideas they can use to improve some of their techniques.

workplace as well. Communication is an essential skill that we cannot avoid, and should be perfected as a goal in improving your leadership efficiency. When in a leadership role, the leader

Throughout high school, I was fortunate to hold several leadership positions. Being in the leadership group taught me the importance of having a vision and taking initiative in order to lead effectively. But most importantly, it taught me that effective communication is key to good leadership.