Communication
According to management literature, about 80 percent of a manager’s job consists of communication. In other words, leadership and communication are inextricably connected. Strong communication skills are undoubtedly an essential prerequisite for being a successful leader.
For example, staff meetings are vital for clarifying mutual expectations, achieving shared goals, addressing criticism, strengthening employee motivation and promoting employee development. To successfully conduct staff meetings, managers require training in mediating discussions and appropriately applying dialogue techniques.
Leaders must constantly navigate a diverse terrain of expectations and interests, and therefore, should excel in the art of communication, especially when it comes to resolving conflicts constructively.
Negotiating is another key managerial task in all organisations today and is another example of where communication skills play a crucial role. Leaders must negotiate with their own superiors on priorities, with colleagues on resources, and with staff concerning their immediate and long-term goals.
If you wish to be a successful leader, it is important to always consider your communication skills and continually work to improve them. Try to develop your communication competence gradually, first by understanding how communication really works (4-ear model, transaction analysis etc.). Later, you should learn and practise various dialogue techniques, such as active listening and asking certain types of questions. Rhetorical skills are also worth building and expanding in order to fully master the fundamentals of communication.