Communication Skills for Leaders

“The Art of Conversation” is in many respects the art of Executive Coaching and in the guise of the Executive Coaching Guru, I am lucky to have great conversations with leaders and other coaches at the top of their respective game; over time I have come to understand that the great practitioners of the art share some common traits:

Communication & Connection
Great connection is not about friendship, but the willingness to engage with others on shared agenda’s, the willingness to be truly ‘present’ in the moment, having parked your own agenda and able to fully focus on the individual(s) in front of them.

True ‘connection’ does not require more time, in the most fleeting of moments ‘connection’ comes from the position of the person communicating, in essence the capacity to not be ‘bewitched by your own agenda’. Leaders that see communication as a standalone enterprise, as getting the facts across are missing the point and making things hard for everyone else, including themselves.

The switched on leader see every communication as a vehicle and a conduit for connection and rapport, not gained through friendship, but rather thought experience of you as being fully engaged, present and authentic.

Sounds easy right? Ask yourself this question:

“How often do you have a conversation, whilst thinking about what you are going to do next?”

Now how powerful an experience do you really think people have of you? Well whatever the answer, if you can ‘park’ your daily agenda when in conversation, as opposed to seeing the person your are in conversation with ‘through the lense’ of your agenda…..well then your personal presence and thus the experience of you will grow hugely.