Communication Tips for Leaders

Even the most brilliant leader won't be effective unless he or she can effectively communicate his or her vision and strategies with others, both within and outside of the organization. Here are some quick tips on how to get and hold people's attention, how to best frame your message and how to make sure people understand what you say, from AMA's best-selling seminar The Voice of Leadership: How Leaders Inspire, Influence and Achieve Results.

How to Gain and Hold People's Attention:

1. Show people you know them…and show them you care.

• Show an understanding of their needs, desires and likes.
• Provide information that is useful or of immediate interest
• Help them feel comfortable and secure with you.

2. Get their involvement.

• Ask questions that draw out their opinions and experience.
• Goad, challenge and prod them.
• Test their courage and mettle.
• Put them a little bit on the spot.

3. Be a little dramatic.

• Appear very confident. Respond to questions and challenges boldly.
• Romanticize the risk you have taken.
• Tell an interesting story, amusing anecdote or unusual fact.
• Do something startling, spontaneous, fun or funny.
• Quote someone well-known and respected.
• Use dramatic pauses and set-up lines as lead-ins to key ideas, for example:
  • “I want to make one thing perfectly clear…”
  • “If there is one thing I know for sure, it is this:”
  • “Let there be no misunderstanding about this:”
  • “Let me leave you with this one final thought:”

4. Recognize and counteract things that may distract people:

• Other assignments they are working on.
• Activities scheduled right before or after your meeting with them.
• Objects in their field of vision (e.g., charts, open windows and doors).
• Noises, intrusions and interruptions (e.g., phone calls, pagers, cell phones).

5. Communicate using their preferred mode for receiving information:

• Aural (listening and talking)
• Visual (seeing and doing)
• Kinesthetic (doing and experiencing)

How to Frame Your Message:

Be direct when…

• You need others to take quick action.
• Others are direct and assertive.
• Others are open and nondefensive.
• Others accept your authority.
• Others will benefit from your message.

Be indirect when…

• You want others to decide the action to take.
• Others are unassertive and sensitive.
• Others are closed and defensive.
• Others resent your authority.
• Others won't benefit from your message.

Be emotional when…

• You have praise or good new to share.
• You want to lift the level of excitement.
• You want to console troubled people.
• Others are spirited or considerate.
• Others are lacking motivation.

Be unemotional when…

• You have criticism or bad news to deliver.
• You want to reduce tension.
• You want to appeal to logic.
• Others are deeply systematic or direct.
• Others are hyperemotional.

How to Ensure People Understand Your Message:

1. Keep your message simple.

• Distill complex ideas into simple messages.
• Boil everything down to a few basic principles that motivate people.
• Cover just three to five key points, maximum. Repeat the key points.
• Finish earlier than expected.

2. Keep your message organized.

• Help people see the purpose and direction of your remarks.
• Tell ‘em what you're going to ‘em. Tell ‘em. Tell ‘em what you told ‘em.
• State your purpose right away and preview your key points.
• Stay on track with your message.

3. Repeat your message.

• Take every opportunity to advance your key messages and major themes.
• Repeat your key points over and over again.
• Use multiple media and multiple forums to get your message across.
• Use multiple messengers who are aligned and speaking with one voice.
• Ask listeners to summarize or interpret what you have said.

Click here for more information about AMA's seminar “The Voice of Leadership: How Leaders Inspire, Influence and Achieve Results,” and AMA's other leadership seminars.

AMA On-site: Every one of AMA's 170+ public seminars can be delivered on-site. This flexible, money-saving option allows you to train ten or more people, when and where you choose, at a low cost per participant.