Leadership: Own Your Communication Style

“Communication is a skill that you can learn. It’s like riding a bicycle or typing. If you’re willing to work at it, you can rapidly improve the quality of every part of your life.” – Brian Tracy

A competent leader positively influences employees to achieve the goals set by their organization. A fundamental factor that contributes to the success of an organization is often overlooked by people aspiring to be leaders. Your communication style as a leader can have a critical impact on your organization’s performance. If you pay too much attention to the content of your messages (although it is important) and not the delivery, you may end up sabotaging yourself. In fact, studies have shown that an expressive or enthusiastic delivery style can have a much stronger effect than the content of a speech.

Another common mistake is to devote your attention to only honing your oratorical skills to deliver speeches or handle press engagements. The communication style you use to engage in daily transactions with subordinates has a powerful effect on work outcomes and should not be overlooked. One of the core elements of leadership is a leader’s interpersonal communication style.

A leader’s communication style consists of a distinctive set of interpersonal communicative behaviors that facilitate group and individual goal achievement. The interpersonal aspects of leadership impact the managerial aspects such as; planning, organizing, decision-making, problem-solving and performance management. Familiarizing yourself with the organizational communication plan, methods and styles in your organization will also help you to align and represent the organization effectively.

One of the most renowned Communicator Style Measure (CSM) frameworks, which was developed by Norton in 1978, consists of nine factors. This is just one of many frameworks developed over the years and is still relevant today.

Dominant

This attribute refers to the tendency to take charge in most social situations.  A person who takes charge of things in a group setting is dominant. Typically, these people will tend to speak frequently in meetings and are at ease in the presence of others. If this is you, be careful not to come off as a know-it-all or arrogant. Although you may think you are merely contributing to the conversation, others may not be able to get a word in edgewise and you will not learn from the perspectives of others. Listening is an important skill. As a leader, you need to encourage everyone to air their views or you may miss out on game-changing contributions.

Friendly

This attribute refers to a person who usually demonstrates kindly interest and goodwill toward others. This person is seldom hostile towards others and is usually regarded with high esteem by others. Leaders who are friendly and have an open-door policy will win support in the organization. By genuinely caring about others and keeping communication lines open, you will help build a culture that encourages camaraderie, open communication and builds trust.

Attentive

This attribute refers to how alert a person is as a communicator. An attentive communicator tends to be encouraging to others, listening carefully to what they have to say. Such a person deliberately reacts in such a way that people know they are being listened to. Genuinely listening to people and responding with thoughtful questions and cues to show that you are following the conversation makes people feel valued and important. Building relationships with people is critical to good leadership.

Relaxed

This attribute refers to how much at ease a communicator appears to be. A person who is not conscious of any nervous mannerisms in his speech is relaxed; a person who is calm and collected when talking is relaxed; a person whose rhythm or flow of speech is not affected by nervousness is relaxed.

A leader must be calm in the face of adversity. Choosing your words carefully in stressful situations can make or break you. Your employees will be watching you and assessing verbal and non-verbal cues in these situations. Poor choice of words and the wrong body-language can elevate their perceived level of threat and cause them to panic. Employees will have greater respect for leaders who project confidence and optimism.

Relaxing when speaking in front of people comes with time. The key to achieving your oratorical Zen is to prepare and practice. Ensure that your speech is easy to understand and has a succinct key message that you want the audience to take away. If you make a mistake, do not draw attention to it. Or if it is a glaring mistake, relax and poke fun at yourself. Humor can break the ice and help you and the audience to relax.

Contentious

This attribute refers to a person who constantly quarrels and disputes with others. These individuals may be labelled belligerent and are the cause of much interpersonal unrest.

If you tend to be strongly opinionated and perfectionistic, you may be in danger of being perceived as contentious. While it is important for you to be able to defend your views and assert your authority, it is equally important to respect the viewpoints of others and be open to different perspectives. Pick your battles carefully. Developing an understanding of different personality styles and how others think and communicate will also help you to build bridges and a shared understanding with others.

Dramatic

This attribute refers to how verbally alive a person is. A person whose speech tends to be very picturesque is dramatic; a person who frequently exaggerates to emphasize a point is dramatic; a person who vocally acts out what is being communicated is dramatic.

Animated

This attribute refers to how nonverbally active a person is as a communicator. A person who actively uses facial expressions and physical gestures is animated. A person whose eyes tend to reflect a great deal of what they are feeling is animated.

The words you choose and your style of delivery can make or break you. Passion is contagious. It is worth it to study the body language, style, rhythm, and other elements of delivery of great orators so that you can develop your own style. If you do not communicate that you care about your message, then people will be dis-engaged. You must really believe in the importance of your message and transmit that belief to others. Being animated and dramatic without being over the top can work in your favor.

Open

This attribute refers to how self-disclosing a person is as a communicator. A person who readily reveals personal things or openly expresses feelings and emotions is an open communicator.

Self-disclosure is uncomfortable. Showing vulnerability is perceived as risky. However, it is one of the most effective ways of connecting with others. It makes people comfortable to reveal themselves to you and helps you to connect with them at a deeper level. Leaders who are relatable and unafraid to show themselves to be fallible, human-beings that are acting with courage and staying true to their beliefs can win the respect of the toughest audiences.

Impression-Leaving

This attribute refers to how affecting a person is as a communicator. We all know people we have never forgotten. People who left an indelible impression on us, for better or worse.

We will meet many people in our life-times. We may not remember every one of them. We may not be remembered by every one of them. However, as a leader, you have been given the opportunity to connect with others and to serve. Strive to be remembered for the right reasons.

Communicator Image

This attribute refers to how good a communicator a person is. If a person finds it easy to talk on a one-to-one basis or in small groups with strangers, he or she has a good communicator image. The key to achieving this image is to like people and genuinely care about them. Ask sincere questions. People like talking about themselves. Never speak down to others, regardless of their status. Every human being has dignity. Always speak graciously to others and be humble.

Your every move as a leader will be criticized. Be open to criticism and filter the information. Take what is constructive and ignore the rest. Do not allow yourself to be destroyed by criticism. Courting the critics is a skill that can take you to the highest echelons of power.

Finally, when you take the leadership reins at the helm, some of your most powerful critics will be media professionals. If you approach this relationship with hostility, it can derail your career. Rather than viewing the media as a collective mass, get to know these people as professionals. They are charged with the important job of keeping leaders in check. Absolute power corrupts, and we should all be grateful for the free press and the important job they do in our society. Remember to keep your ego in check and do not fall for your own publicity.

If you are uncomfortable with press engagements and interviews, invest in professional training. There are many professional communication consultants who can prepare you to be media savvy and hone your communication style. Invest in yourself, practice, and the oratorical fireworks will come with time. As the popular saying goes, ‘be yourself because everyone else is taken.’ Authenticity will set you apart and owning your communication style will help you to make your unique contribution to society.

Article by Shailja Sharma, Faculty Member at SBS and Leadership and Career Coach

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