A leader who cannot effectively communicate with their team, their peers, and the public is on the road to isolation, unpopularity, and possibly a relinquishing of their responsibilities. Because this skill is so crucial to leadership, many people who have risen to the top of their fields think they have communication mastered.

But that’s not always the case. Communication is reciprocal and unique to each individual involved, requiring constant assessment and adjustment. Furthermore, having a position of power can cause others to refrain from asking clarifying questions, leading to misunderstandings the leader never knows about.

That’s why leaders of any level can benefit from working on message clarity, active listening, and avoiding misunderstandings.

Message clarity

The first crucial piece of effective communication as a leader is message clarity. Sometimes leaders try to take a relaxed approach to communication in an effort to come across as relatable, open-minded, and quick on their feet.

While authenticity and adaptability can be assets, this does not mean a leader should speak “off the cuff” all the time. If tasked with communicating organizational changes, project specifics, or difficult news, it’s just as important that the message is clear than it is for the leader to appear warm or affable.

Social researcher Brené Brown often shares the phrase, “Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind.” If a leader withholds or downplays difficult information because they are trying to make their message more palatable, they are ultimately diminishing trust and compromising their position and the company.

Active listening

An important partner to message clarity is active listening. Your message should be clear, but then you need to actively listen to the response.

Many people think active listening means nodding your head and making eye contact while someone else is speaking. They may insert occasional sounds of assent to show they are engaged while making sure to put away their phone.

But true active listening also involves paying attention to your own and the other person’s emotions and body language. An active listener takes care to identify the emotions that are coming up and addresses them in the conversation. They are comfortable with pauses as they consider what they’ve just heard before responding.

In a large group setting, this skill gets even more advanced. Leaders must know how to read the room and address the tone of the group.

Avoiding misunderstandings

Finally, a leader must strive to avoid misunderstandings by taking into account the power imbalance implicit in most of their interactions.

If a leader takes a top-down approach to every decision without input from others, their team is unlikely to bring up valid concerns and questions due to fear of retaliation. Even if the leader asks for feedback, it may not be given honestly.

Trust is the foundation for effective leadership and team success. Trust can only be gained when leaders open themselves to feedback, admit they don’t know everything, and actually allow others’ opinions to alter some decisions.

Without this type of collaboration, misunderstandings abound and result in less long-term success. Leaders can avoid this by proactively seeking out the perspectives of others, asking questions like “Any thoughts you want to add?” or “What am I missing?” or “What is one thing you wish I knew?”

Over time, this approach will breed a culture of trust. Team members will naturally raise their concerns leading to better overall output and productivity.

Practice with your peers

These communication skills require practice, and there’s no better way to practice than in a safe and supportive environment of your peers. In the Team Leader Foundations program, leaders of all levels get to interact within a cohort to practice communication skills, improve their problem-solving abilities, and aid in conflict resolution.If you could benefit from eight online sessions meant to sharpen your leadership skills, one-on-one coaching sessions, and peer group practice, consider signing up for the Team Leader Foundations course today.