Skilled Communications- A Trait of Great Leadership

An individual leading a team must be skilled in communicating with team members or the team has little chance of being successful in reaching its goals. Sometimes a leader knows what needs to be accomplished and its clear in his or her head but if this idea cannot be transmitted or communicated to the team members there is definitely a problem. When you try to explain an idea to someone else and are met with a totally blank facial expression, you know the other person did not understand and you have a communication gap. If this is a common occurrence, you need to focus on improving your communication skills particularly if you are in a position of leadership.

Being able to communicate your thoughts and ideas clearly and concisely is an essential trait of leadership. If you as a leader do not have the ability to relate the visions or goals you see for the team to the members, chances are you will not all be striving for the same end result. Training your team members and creating a productive environment depends on the ability to have open, skilled and beneficial lines of communication. How a leader develops this line of communication depends upon the type of leadership as well as the team environment. Some leaders attempt to maintain an open door policy but if this is not feasible a great leader will at least have some means by which the team members may communicate as needed. Leaders who make themselves available typically have teams who trust their opinions, depend on them for assistance and are willing to work harder to make the team successful by reaching its goals.

In this world of technology, even leaders who are not in the same location as the team members have numerous methods to effectively communicate. While face-to-face communication is possibly the best and most effective means of communicating, a great leader will pursue others means as necessary; emails, chats, Skype, and even the almost antiquated telephone can be beneficial in keeping the lines of communication open. A team leader who is a skilled communicator will find a means to effectively communicate with the team members to ensure the team achieves the success it is striving for in the most efficient manner.