[Leadership Series] Are you communicating effectively?

Communication is the bridge between chaos and clarity. It is the most powerful tool every leader must have.

Me conducting an Effective Communication workshop with the leadership team

Recently, I led a session about effective communication with a room full of leaders at a leadership offsite. What started off as a quiet session turned into a rich conversation about leadership styles and how communication can be used to empower, build trust and lead to a greater team culture.

I will spare you all the details about what we discussed and get straight to the one point that made this workshop memorable for me and the participants.

Leaders must master active listening to lead effectively!

Let me ask you this, when was the last time you listened with full attention to someone sitting right in front of you?

I bet your mind was racing to think about the next meeting, itching to see that notification that popped on your phone/apple watch and how to cut to the chase. I know, we have all been there.

If you are not fully present and cannot spend the time truly listening to what the person in front of you is saying, you are doing a disservice.

I shared the principles of the 3Cs and a few key takeaways from the discussion:

• When leaders communicate with clarity, they provide a roadmap for precise execution.

• When leaders communicate with purpose, they inspire a shared mission and ownership in their team.

• When leaders send mixed messages, it leads to chaos.

To get this right, leaders need to:

• Be clear on the "why."

• Embrace active listening to see beyond what is spoken.

• Keep their message consistent across every platform.

Effective communication is more than just saying a few words. It's an intentional practice that elevates your leadership.