Do you know what is common to great CEOs like Satya Nadella, Tim Cook, Sundar Pichai, and Jeff Bezos? Business and management books that have covered their life and professional careers point out that all four are excellent in effective communication styles!
It is true. You cannot lead a great organization and run successful teams if strong communication is not your forte. You do not have to showcase masculine strength and prowess to make your teams and employees follow you on the path to success and growth.
The hallmark of great business leaders has always been how strong they are in terms of their communication styles. While Pichai is famous for his listening skills, Nadella has made a name for himself for his directing-oriented communication.
In this article, we are going to look at the communication styles followed by the best business leaders in 2022. If you aspire to lead your organization to greater success and growth, this article will be perfect for you.
The Importance of Listening in Effective Communication and Leadership
No business leader can claim to have a ‘know-it-all’ attitude. The fact remains that it cannot happen. You cannot possibly be aware of every single aspect or problem that is affecting teams and operations. This is why you need to listen. Listening to teams and professionals that are working day in and out on the projects is important to gain clarity.
Listening is a core component of understanding your employees, teams, customers, vendors, and even stakeholders. Most CEOs and Start-Up Founders, by virtue of their position, believe that they are at a stage in their life where they should simply speak, and others should listen. This is a faulty assumption that leaves no room for innovation or feedback.
The best CEOs listen to not only what is being said or communicated. They pay specific attention to listening between the lines and assessing the meaning of what is not being said. This helps them understand underlying frustrations. By having access to this information, business leaders will be in a better position to respond to challenges and problems.
You can read more on 8 type of leadership styles in communication here.
The Role of Directing in Executing Successful Business Operations
Please note that we have mentioned the term ‘directing’ and not ‘dictating’. Directing means encouraging your team to follow a list of actionable steps that will help execute the strategy and deliver the ROIs as is expected. Business leaders need to make sure that they are engaging in effective communication to help make everyone understand what their roles are.
For example, you have five members in a team, and you have to direct the action plan. As a business leader, all five members need to understand your vision and their exact roles. Make sure to ask questions and clear as many doubts as possible. Encourage team members to ask questions without the fear of being judged while doing so.
If you are able to direct efficiently through effective communication, you are a successful business leader. Business organizations that run into problems during the execution stage are often unable to direct and explain in a way that is most conducive to the employees. Sound and effective communication eliminate this problem easily.
Motivating and Encouraging your Team Members to Succeed
Business organizations are run by successful professionals that are at the top of their game. In most instances, business leaders do not need to explain anything to them. However, they need words of encouragement and motivation from time to time. This slight nudge is all it takes to convert their performance from good to extraordinary!
Every business leader needs to spend time and effort to brush up their communication as far as words of motivation and encouragement are concerned. If you are a cheerleader at all times, the same can feel like you are patronizing them. This is why it is important to strike a balance between words of encouragement and ending up being a cheerleader.
Business leaders need to work on their emotional intelligence and develop an empathetic style of leadership. This will help you become approachable in front of your employees and team members. You can also work alongside your team if they are in the midst of a tough launch or deadline. Such small acts can play an important role in growing their morale.
The Bottom Line
Business leaders that have been able to choose the right communication style are able to create a lasting impact. If you would add to the list of communication styles used by the best business leaders, please do so in the comments section below. On the other hand, if you have any questions regarding any of the communication styles mentioned in the article, please let us know in the comments below.
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