How to be that Powerful, Persuasive and Perfect Leader?
Communication Tips for Leadership
What makes a powerful leader? It is easy to identify someone in your life whom you identify as a leadership role model, someone to look up to and emulate. It is more difficult to unpack the qualities or traits that make the same person the role model he/she is. This difficulty is why most of our clients come to our training with a common scenario –
***I have just been assigned a manager/leadership role, and I don’t know anything about being a leader. ***
The good news is – most leadership qualities have a grounding in strong and positive communication habits. For the most part, the opportunity to be a leader (or try for such a position) will not be handed to you on a silver platter. It often arrives in the shape of a high-stakes, one-off, and unprepared scenario. By the time this make-or-break moment lands on your lap, it is too late to start running through tips or training on how to take such an opportunity by its horns.
We know that being a leader, what more a great leader, is a daunting task. This is why we have extracted three quick tips we have learnt through our experience, research and training.
Tip #1: Glide Through Your Networks
Think of a leader, and you start to picture a charismatic and charming individual who glides their way through any networking scenario. This individual moves seamlessly from one conversation to another. Their magnetic persona also means that their conversations are not just superficial; these conversations often come accompanied by valuable opportunities for them. How can we be like that smooth eagle gliding through the air currents of a networking session?
The three aspects you may want to start with are (i) open body language, (ii) spotlight-shining, and (iii) empathy. First, adopt an open body language to show a welcoming and friendly side. Essentially, you are aiming to project an invitation to connect and interact. Some common ‘friend’ gestures may include, for example, raised eyebrows, sustained eye contact or open hand gestures. Second, shine the spotlight on the person you are interacting with. Make the other party feel like the centre of attraction by finding out more about them instead of simply sharing about yourself. Third, use empathetic statements to show that you are genuinely interested in your conversational partner. Understand their difficulties or the unique stories they may choose to share with you. Create a long-lasting and valuable relationship by showing sincerity and authenticity in your interactions!
Tip #2: Breaking Down Professionalism – Firm & Polite
Part of the leadership experience involves the ability to make difficult decisions or requests. How do you remain steadfast but still appear to be professional and fair? Among the many different tasks of a leader, we believe one of the tougher tasks is to make a difficult request from someone or an organisation. This involves a fine balance between having to put your points across in a clear, unambiguous manner and maintaining your relationship with the other party to ensure that your request is not immediately rejected.
The first aspect of making a difficult request is to set out your request in a precise, clear and unambiguous manner. If you only had 1 – 2 sentences to summarise your request, what would that be? Ensure that this 1 – 2 sentences (or the gist of it at least) are delivered early on in your interaction, be it through writing or face-to-face. The second aspect is to acknowledge the position of the other party. In this sense, the element of empathy applies as well. When you make a difficult request, the other party is most likely placed in a difficult position. Think about the challenges the other party may face and find out how you can help them resolve that. By mastering these two aspects, you can stand a better chance of having your request acceded to!
Tip #3: Inspire & Motivate
Finally, the common trait of a leader involves the ability to inspire or motivate their team. While you will not be expected to have a rousing speech or shiny battle scars to inspire your team a la war scenes in movies, there is still a demand for inspirational leaders. It is important to emphasise that the process of inspiration goes beyond mere rhetoric – detailed substance, sincerity and credibility are still important traits to keep in mind!
First, ensure you are comfortable with the background of an issue/task – knowing the finer details about a project you are inspiring your team for will allow you to be clear on what the requirements are. Simply declaring that “we can do it!” without any precision or practical plan is unlikely to work. Second, show sincerity in your interactions. Reach out to your team and find out more about their communication personality, confidence and competence through sincere interactions. Third, build credibility by ensuring that you are always supported by substance. Remember that an empty vessel makes the most noise; a great leader is a filled vessel that continues to pour wisdom for his/her team!
Here’s How A Speech Can Be Crafted To Motivate Your Team On How To Better Manage Their Stress & Frustrations At Work:
Be the Best Leader You Can Be
A leadership opportunity may not frequently come to us. Rather, some of us may go through our life thus far without a chance to lead a group of people. This does not mean that we can simply ignore the benefits of picking up leadership skills. It is better to prepare for the eventuality than to wait for the moment to come and prepare urgently. With this in mind, start with the three simple, workable tips we have shared and tell us more about your leadership experiences!
Public Speaking Academy strives to help adult learners & kids enhance their leadership communication skills:
Public Speaking Course for Adults:
https://publicspeakingacademy.com.sg/courses-and-programs/group-classes-for-adults/
Public Speaking Course for Kids/ Children:
https://publicspeakingacademy.com.sg/group-classes-students-age-9-18/
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