Communication Skills for Leaders: Conversational Mistakes Novices ...

As Barack Obama, David Cameron and all other politicians know too well, a wrong turn of speech can send you tumbling from leadership

You can play the part of a leader. You know the way a leader moves, thinks and speaks, but to be a leader is to walk a tightrope. One tiny error, one slip of the tongue and you?ll tumble painfully back down to earth. And of all the slips that novices make, the following three are the most common. Avoid them like the plague.

Communication Skills for Leaders: Pitfalls to Avoid

1 Speaking Half-heartedly: Good leaders and those of high status don?t waste their breath. You won?t find them saying, ?Lovely weather,? or ?Do you come here often?? ?Leaders know no one wants to hear such stock phrases. Silence is a much better sound. If you don?t truly want to say anything, don?t say anything, that?s the leader?s way. Feeling obligated to speak for the sake of it is a sign of weakness. Don?t do it.

2 ?What do you do??: ?Leaders and big time players never ask a person what they do. Why? There are a few key reasons. First off, limiting someone to a title, whether it?s ?professional athlete,? ?CEO of a major international company? or ?single mother? is never polite. People are more than a job title (a job itself is more than a job title, just ask any mother). To ask what a person does as a manner of introduction is simply rude. It?s also not really your business. Why should anyone have to tell you there job before they get to know you?? On top of this, it?s simply lazy communication. Nine times out of ten the reason people ask you what you do isn?t because the ant to know, it?s because they can?t think of anything more original to say. If you really are interested in what a person does, word it differently. Ask: ?How do you spend mosst of your time?? This gives the replier freedom to take the question where they want. Freedom of speech.? . . it?s famous for being rather important. Grant it to your conversational partner.

3 Recycled Lines: Leaders and high status individuals know that a rare item is a valuable one. That?s as true for speech as it is for art pieces. Knowing this, they avoid recycled phrases like they avoid processed meat. Instead of saying, ?You look nice? they?ll say, ?You look radiant this evening? or ?You look magnificent? or some other rare gem of a word that most people do not use. Instead of saying, ?See you later? they?ll say, ?Can?t wait till next time? or ?Hope to see you around.? Notice that these alternative phrases don?t have to be witty or colourful or extravagant; they just have to be rare enough to be distinguishable. In case you?re wondering whether these phrases will make the speaker stick out: Yes, they will. It?s hard being a leader without separating yourself from the pack.

More than anything, it?s laziness that leaders avoid. If you want the communication skills off a leader, appreciate words; love language; player with it. There?s an energy to charisma. It?s an involving energy which makes each word and each manner of delivery matter. Energise yourself. Don?t just say words, be a wordsmith.7

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Source: http://arolemodel.com/2012/07/17/communication-skills-for-leaders-conversational-mistakes-novices-make/

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