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5 Communication Strategies Team Leaders Should Learn

According to the Center for Creative Leadership, being a good communicator is one of the most defining characteristics of a good leader. Being able to verbalize goals well and make sure what is said is being understood keeps everyone on the same page and working towards the same goals. But what does it mean to be a good communicator?

7 Things Good Communicators Do

Being a good communicator is a combination of being able to understand what others are saying and being able to express one’s thoughts well. Here are 8 things an effective communicator does that makes them great at building rapport in conversations.

  • They acknowledge the other person and show respect in conversation
  • They express genuine interest in what is being said
  • They are deeply self-aware and are not ashamed of recognizing flaws in their own argument
  • They pay attention
  • They ask probing questions to understand in a manner that is non-combative
  • They practice tact and behave in a sensitive and considerate manner
  • They show empathy
  • They can adapt their communication style with the person they are interacting with

Image by Jehyun Sung on Unsplash

Benefits of being a good communicator as a leader

As a leader, being a good communicator brings a wealth of advantages for you and your team. Some of the best benefits of good communication within a leadership sphere include the following.

  • Reduces confusion, provides clarity in terms of goal direction, and helps keep the team aligned on overall objectives
  • Builds rapport and trust within the team
  • Develops stronger relationships with team members when they feel heard
  • Promotes effective problem-solving through open dialogue
  • This leads to more effective delegation by properly setting expectations
  • Helps resolve conflict within the team through proper dialogue
  • Inspire good communication among team members
  • Increases the positive impact of one’s leadership within the team
  • Provides effective motivation

Just like any other skill, being a good communicator is something one can train and develop. There are certain aspects of good communication that will be useful to anyone aspiring to be an ace leader.

Related: The Most Valuable Skill We Don’t Talk About Enough

Become an active listener

Active listening is one of the most important aspects of good communication. It enables team members, customers, and stakeholders to feel that their perspectives are being listened to.

Being an active listener means focusing on the message and making sure what is being said is received as it was intended. Becoming an active listener is not hard to learn but it does take practice to properly master. Here are some tips on how to be a good active listener.

  • Pay attention to what the person is saying without judgment. Notice how their body language contributes to the overall message.
  • Make sure your body language also lets them know that you are actively listening to what they’re trying to communicate. Face the speaker directly, make eye contact, nod when in agreement, and sit back in a relaxed position.
  • Interject from time to time to express your agreement
  • Be patient and allow the speaker to finish before adding a point or asking questions
  • Try to rephrase the point back to the speaker by saying something like “What I’m hearing you say is..” or “If I understand it correctly…”
  • Be candid and honest in your response without being aggressive or combative

Keep it simple

Limit the jargon to the minimum. Cut the fluff and offer only the most relevant details, and use active voice for impact and clarity.

Use everyday words that people use in conversation. If your audience can understand you clearly, the conversation can flow more freely. 

It also helps to be brief and concise with your points and arguments. Eliminate any other details that don’t contribute to the overall idea. Cluttering your sentences with too many additions can lessen the impact of your main point or muddle the entire argument.

And lastly, practice using the active voice in speech. For example, instead of saying “The problem was solved by the team”, say “The team solved the problem”. An active voice conveys a stronger, clearer message.

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Work on your non-verbal communication skills

Non-verbal cues are a vital element of effective communication. Non-verbal cues help convey a message beyond what is spoken. Non-verbal speech includes body language, facial expressions, physical gestures, tone of voice, and even the use of personal space.

Here are some tips on how to improve your non-verbal speech.

  • Keep eye contact. Look at the face of the speaker while you’re listening and as you’re responding. However, avoid staring or looking at one part of their face for a long time. Too much eye contact can also make people uncomfortable.
  • Be mindful of your posture. Slouching can indicate disinterest.
  • Mind your gestures. Fidgeting or swinging your leg back and forth can make you seem anxious, untrustable, or impatient
  • Train your facial expressions. Facial expressions don’t lie and it can be hard to control, especially if you are naturally facially expressive. An impulse reaction can be off-putting or distracting to some people.
  • Play with your tone of voice. Delivery is a big factor in how a message is received. The right tone of voice will help you convey the message with clarity and confidence.
  • When you are unsure of what others are saying from their own verbal cues, simply ask to avoid misinterpretation

Improve empathy

Empathy is innate but research shows that it can be learned. Here are some ways to improve yours.

  • Put yourself in new situations. Get out of your comfort zone. For instance, traveling to new places and needing strangers’ help will teach you humility.
  • Ask for feedback from family, friends, or colleagues. This will teach you to listen and learn the constructive value of criticism.
  • Read the great literature. Reading allows you to get inside the head of the characters and understand why people do the things they do.
  • Make it an exercise to put yourself in people’s shoes to try to understand their decisions and actions.
  • Be interested in people. Understand that every person you meet, no matter how young, knows something you don’t.
  • Examine your biases and how they color your judgment.
  • Ask thoughtful questions.

Practice your conflict resolution skills

As a leader, conflict in the workplace is bound to happen, especially if you’re up to some big challenges. Knowing how to promptly and constructively deescalate a heated situation will not only help the team to keep going but also show everyone that conflict can sometimes be part of the process and that no matter what, a resolution can be reached with an open mind and the willingness to find common ground. Your team members can also learn this practical skill from you through effective modeling.

Here are some practical tips for improving conflict resolution skills.

  • Hear everyone out. This will help everyone properly articulate their points of view and make them feel heard.
  • Ask everyone involved to acknowledge yet also rule out the emotions and agree on the facts.
  • Offer compliments to partly diffuse the tenseness of the situation.
  • Encourage everyone to focus on the arguments being drawn and not attack the person to keep relationships intact.
  • Find out the root of the problem
  • Understand non-verbal cues and demonstrate emotional intelligence
  • Reach a compromise

Image from Rawpixel

Final word

Effective communication lies at the heart of successful team leadership. By adopting and mastering these five communication strategies, team leaders can create a culture of transparency, collaboration, and trust within their teams.

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Related: The Most Valuable Skill We Don’t Talk About Enough

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