After a long time, India has a Prime minister who appears convincing and apparently has a large following across all strata of the society. The main reason for his large following is his oratory skill, his ability to communicate, to connect with the people, the target audience. Communication skills are one of the major factors which can make or mar a leader. I had in an earlier blog, (Effective communication…..Key to success….) partly covered the importance of Communication in life in general. Good communication is one of the most important quality a leader must have irrespective of the field he / she is in (military, politics, business etc ).
Communication can be made in different ways, verbal, non- verbal and written. To be effective a leader should possess the art of communicating by all means. Most of the leaders are good in written communications but not everyone is a good orator.
There are many factors which combine together to make communication effective. The first and the foremost factor to be remembered is that communication is a two- way process. A leader must have the patience and will to hear to anyone and not be just conveying his views or directions. He must also understand that communication is only effective if what has been conveyed has been not just heard but understood as well by the audience.
To be understood, a leader /speaker not only has to speak clearly and be concise but also has to prepare himself well. Good preparation and in-depth knowledge of the subject being discussed, gives confidence to the speaker and helps him in conveying his points assertively. A speaker cannot be factually incorrect. Good preparation also gives the ability to speak extempore without referring to the script. An extempore speaker is always better received by the audience than someone who does not lift his eyes from his script.
Detailed preparation also helps the speaker/ leader in handling the questions / queries from the audience/ the other party. A leader/ speaker should never react to any question without giving a thought. A careful calibrated response is always the desired option. A leader should never be in a hurry to react, this at times may lead to embarrassment.
Engaging the audience is an art and is easier for someone speaking extempore. Good use of a positive body language, which generally is fostered by good preparation and grooming goes a long way in helping in engagement of the audience. Prime Minister Modi excels in extempore oratory and hence apt at holding the attention of the audience as for most part of the talk he maintains eye contact and exhibits a positive body language.
Building in realistic stories in a speech also helps in conveying a point. A speaker can use anecdotes, jokes, stories to which the audience can relate and understand his views better. It’s always better to use contemporary examples as compared to pulling out something from the history which today’s generation may not relate to.
A speaker should always keep the target audience in mind. The content matter of speech, the delivery style should vary as per the age, intellect level and expectations of the audience.
Non- verbal communication is as important as verbal communication and involves the body language and expressions. A lot can be conveyed by a listener / speaker through the facial expressions and effective use of body language.
A leader should not just be adept at criticism but also good in conveying appreciation. Appreciation can be conveyed in person or even a small written note on letters or a smily drawn can also have the desired effect. While appreciation /good news may be conveyed in any form but care should be taken while conveying the bad news and condolences. People use make extensive use of social media to convey condolences, but this should not be the norm. Bad news and condolences should always be conveyed in person, as far as possible.
Communication is an art and more than the language you use or your vocabulary, its effectiveness is dependent on your control over your thoughts, your confidence and the attitude. I have seen speakers, in their zest of showing off their mastery over the language (specially English) badly failing to connect with the audience. Do not expect the audience to be carrying a dictionary or a thesaurus to understand what you are trying to convey. The best mantra for success is to keep the speech simple, sprinkled with adequate humour in between. The humour you use must relate to the subject you are talking about, it should not appear forced.
Good communication is not just a must in office but at homes also. It helps in developing, maintaining and sustaining good relationships.
I agree! Communication is so important for a good leader. And I love that you mention nonverbal language as well.
Thank you Michelle..
Yes non verbal communication matters as much
Communication is key to success..It is a vital to be communicative..
That’s right Poonam..
Thank you😊😊
Great post. Yes communication is vital yet challenging. We definitely have to know our audience to communicate effectively.
That’s true Tamieka…
Thank you..
God bless you
Communication is almost like the number 42.
The ultimate..
I agree completely. In order to be a good leader you have to know how to communicate effectively. Great article thanks for sharing
Thank you Aliya..
God bless you
This is a great article and I love how you stressed and explained the importance of communication. I think in our technological world the art of personal communication is being lost. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you..
I think it’s great that you talked about non-verbal communication as well. Often times, the ways we communicate without using words can convey a different or stronger message! Thanks for posting.
That’s right Jordan..
Thank you..
Good communication is essential for leadership and all relationships. I agree Modi is a good communicator. You made lots of nice points. Non verbal communication is as important as what you say.
What a meaningful post! Totally agree that communication is most important.
Thank you Ketki fro visiting and leaving your thoughts….God bless
Communication skills are really essential for a good leader. Not only speaking, but listening too is very important. People only listen to those who listen to them. Very informative post. Loved it.
Thank u
I work in management and communication is key. I am always looking for new ideas to communicate effectively and improve my leadership skills. Anyone can be a manager, not everyone is a leader:)
Yes…anyone can be a manager but not everyone can be a leader..
Thank you..
God bless you
Couldn’t agree more. A leader who does not know how to communicate will always fail in accomplishing his purpose.
True Nina..
Thank you..
God bless you
I do agree.. A good motivator should fill up himself with capability so that he can have the inner value to grip the audience..
Yes..
Thank you..
God bless
Communication is indeed two way….Only then communication serves its purpose well…..all points in this blog are properly conveyed….
Thank you..
God bless
Yeah!! Communication really play an important role in our day to day, thanks for sharing this, a great reminder for myself. cheers, siennylovesdrawing
Thank you Sienny..for visiting and leaving your views..
God bless you
I for one, would want to have great oratory skills! It takes a lot of intelligence and wit to convey your message and let your listeners grasp what you really mean and convince them!
You are right..
Thank you ..
God bless you
communication is the best way to solve a dispute, be it a relationship, business or anything. We need to make sure we listen and understand before we speak
That’s true..
Thank you so much.
God bless
I have to agree. Communication is gold. Sad to say social media is killing the ‘real’ way of communicating.
You are right..
Thank you..
God bless
Communication is a great way to expressing yourself
Yes…
Thank you.
God bless
Very true! Very educational for me and it was interesting to see a real world example/case study of this fact!
Thank you..
God bless you
rightly said. Communication is the only way to break down barriers and getting along as a team. It starts with the leadership though!
Yes..
Stay blessed
I really like your articles. They’re very good.
Thank you Kiran..
God bless
Great article! Effective communication is the key for good relationships. I feel bad to see nowadays when people are turning into selective listeners. They hear what they want to hear and not what other person wants to convey.
You are right Charu..
Thank you.
God bless you
Yes, if by communication you mean imparting vague information and a clear lack of knowledge, then of course our PM can speak well.
Everyone has a right to their own views….our PM is better than most who despite having a plethora of knowledge are not able to convey it because they just can’t connect with y the public….
Stay blessed
For us, communication is absolutely essential! May it be verbal or non verbal. Communication is essential to be built
Communication is important for anyone n everyone..
Thank you for reading and leaving your views..
God bless
Communication is key in every relationship built. Thanks
True..
Thank you.
Interesting content! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you..
Absolutely on point. Communication is vital for success, it’s not just merely speaking or talking. Communication is a way of life wherein both parties are heard and understood.
Yes…feedback is most important in communication..
Thank you..
Stay blessed..
You make a large number of important observations. One vital thing seems to have short shrift as an important leadership communication skill: listening. Communication is a two-way street and that is *especially* important for one in power. https://petersironwood.com/2018/08/07/myth-of-the-veritas-the-first-ring-of-empathy/
Thank you
I agree. Effective communication makes a leader effective.
Thank you
Beautifully written.
Thank you