Communicator: A Critical Leadership Role

One of my workshops at a recent international conference, “Adaptive Leadership Roles for a Dynamic Environment,” identified and described four roles that leaders must fill if they are to be personally and professionally successful in today’s fast-paced world. The communicator role was first on the list, as its requirements are the foundation for leadership effectiveness.

Though the communicator role is not a new one for leaders, the realities of the dynamic environment in which we now operate have altered its required functions and skills. The topics, the communication media, and the need to educate stakeholders all have changed. For example, leaders must fulfill functions such as educator, marketer/brander, influencer, facilitator, relationship builder, cheerleader, story teller, consensus-builder, context changer, attentive listener, diversity embracer. They must work with stakeholders who are more diverse than ever, customers whose expectations about service are higher than before, and employees whose work-life priorities and choices may be at odds with organizational policies and procedures. They must rely on personal power much more than on position power.

At the same time that the demands of the communicator role are changing, the need for leaders who are proficient in these new functions and skills has never been greater. Unfortunately many leaders are poor communicators. They lose their audiences by focusing on activities rather than on results, by speaking in technical terms or jargon, by using contexts that are foreign to others, and by failing to tell a compelling story or present an irresistible offer. As a result, people are confused about what leaders want or need them to do, they aren’t inspired to take action, employees become disengaged, customer loyalty wanes, and personal relationships crumble. NONE of these outcomes is inevitable.

Here are seven steps you can take to improve your communication skills:

1. Learn what skills the role of communicator requires.
2. Assess your proficiency – not just your knowledge – in performing each skill.
3. Prioritize the skills that you must improve.
4. Take the steps necessary to increase your proficiency – e.g., through workshops, mentoring, coaching.
5. Practice the skills at every opportunity.
6. Ask for constructive feedback from those who are in a position to assess your performance and who will be honest with you.
7. Teach the skills to others. 

Leaders who become proficient in the functions and skills required of today’s communicator role will find their lives become much easier – e.g., others are more likely to do what they want, they experience less conflict and more collaboration, their problem-solving efforts are more likely to be successful, and their work and personal relationship are more satisfying.

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If you would like to learn more about the behaviors associated with the communicator role, and/or to determine your proficiency in them, take our self-assessment. To find leadership-related articles and other resources that may be of value to you, I invite you to visit my web site at www.BusinessAlignmentStrategies.com and my blog at www.OptimizeBusinessResults.com.

Alignment Solutions is a concise, bi-weekly newsletter written specifically to help organizational leaders optimize their business results. Your e-mail address is never shared with anyone for any reason. You may unsubscribe by clicking the link on the bottom of this e-mail.

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© 2015 Pat Lynch. All rights reserved.

Ingredients for Success: Characteristics
of Effective Leaders

Although the topics at the annual conferences of the International Association of Women in Fire and Emergency Services and the International Association of Fire Chiefs in Atlanta were wide-ranging, they all had a common theme: helping their members lead effectively at the individual, team, agency, and community levels. Below are nineteen ingredients for leadership success that I took away from these two events. They are applicable to leaders in any industry.

Successful leaders are those who:

• serve with humility, purpose, and compassion, and lead from the heart.
• pro-actively set and guide the conversation and agenda in their field or industry.
• enlist everyone in the organization in the “work” of leadership.
• are proficient in navigating the internal and/or external political environment(s) in which they operate.
• build capacity throughout the organization.
• are “authentic chameleons” – i.e., adapt effectively to the environment while remaining true to themselves.
• educate employees and customers about the value they provide, not just the products or services they offer.
• have the courage to take action and stand up for what’s right.
• engage in difficult conversations, and teach others how to do so.
• develop long-term, trusting relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• make professional development a life-long priority.
• support others’ commitment to continuous learning.
• are able to influence others ethically.
• become proficient in using versatility skills – i.e., role-shifting, personal style-shifting, skill-shifting, and perspective-shifting.
• grow by regularly stepping outside their comfort zones.
• are adept at changing the conversation by changing the questions.
• choose to view the proverbial glass as half full because they understand that their mindset profoundly affects the way they live their lives.
• discover and adopt best practices and research results that benefit their customers and organizations.
• have the courage to step down when they no longer are willing or able to be the effective leaders their agencies and communities need.

How many of these characteristics describe you as a leader? Where are your opportunities for growth?

To find leadership-related articles and other resources that may be of value to you, I invite you to visit my web site at www.BusinessAlignmentStrategies.com and my blog at www.OptimizeBusinessResults.com.

Alignment Solutions is a concise, bi-weekly newsletter written specifically to help organizational leaders optimize their business results. Your e-mail address is never shared with anyone for any reason. You may unsubscribe by clicking the link on the bottom of this e-mail.

Click here to Join Our Mailing List!

© 2015 Pat Lynch. All rights reserved.