Unit 4 : Communication and Leadership Development

Meaning of Leadership Communication

 Leadership communication is a type of communication most commonly used by
leaders to relay information about the company’s culture, core values, mission, and
crucial messages to build trust and encourage employees.
 It involves delivering a shared vision and inspiring others to buy into that vision.
With clear communication, leaders can navigate their organization through all types
of changes, big or small.
 Leadership communication also builds trust within the organization, both between
leaders and employees and between employees and the organization itself.
 Finally, it helps prevent miscommunications within the organization and ensures that
all employees are kept up to date with important information.
Why is Leadership Communication Important?
1. Good communication improves engagement: Employee Engagement is massively
important – engaged employees will work harder, stay with the organization longer,
improve customer service, and in general lead to better business outcomes. To get
employees engaged, they must trust both their leaders and the organization. This can
be done with effective leadership communication. Leaders share the vision of the
company and show by actions that they are dedicated to that vision. If they are open
and honest about what is going on, positive or negative, and do not silo information,
employees will then buy into that vision, putting their energy into making it a reality.

2. Clear communication aligns employees with strategic goals: How can employees
be aligned with organizational goals if they don’t know what they are or don’t
understand them? The answer is that they simply can't. It is the leadership’s job to
evangelize these goals, to create awareness of them among the workforce. Not only
that, leadership needs to deliver consistent updates about what the goals are, why they
have been chosen, and what the path to reaching them is. All of this serves to engage
employees – their strategic alignment with organizational goals will deliver better
business outcomes.3. It builds trust and encourages transparency:-There is a
worldwide crisis of leadership, No matter the type of leadership, from government
leaders to religious leaders, from CEOs to journalists, there is a growing trust gap.
Not one type of societal leader is trusted to do what is right. People are also
increasingly rejecting talking heads, who are viewed as partisan and not credible.

3. It can create a collaborative, accessible workplace culture: When leadership

communication is effective, it leads to better communication throughout the
workplace. By demonstrating what good communication looks like – and leading by
example – employees are more likely to adopt those positive communication tactics
in their own workplace communications. Not only that, if everyone has a good
understanding of important information, that information becomes much more
accessible. A new employee can simply ask a colleague and get a robust, correct
answer, rather than having to delve into training manuals or company documents to
find it.
 4. Leadership communication training creates effective leaders: As we mentioned
above, almost 69% of managers are uncomfortable communicating with employees.
By taking the time to improve leadership communication skills, your organization will
also be up skilling managers in a variety of areas and making them much more
effective. Leaders with good communication skills are better at mentorship, problem-
solving, and project management. This directly leads to more confident and successful
leaders, who trust that they can handle any problem that comes their way.
12 Tips and Best Practices for Effective Leadership Communication
• Be honest
• Always follow through with your promises
• Communicate wisely with a plan
• Be empathetic
• Distill the complex into the simple and memorable
• Embrace openness and honest feedback
• Learn how to speak to groups as individuals
• Be consistent in your communication and actions
• Communicate equally with your employees
• Unite people around a single cause
• Transmit confidence
Communication and Social competence: context, feelings, intentions, behaviours
• Social competence consists of social, emotional, cognitive, and behavioural skills needed
for successful social adaptation. Social competence also reflects having the ability to take
another's perspective concerning a situation, learn from past experiences, and apply that
learning to the changes in social interactions.
• Social competence is the foundation upon which expectations for future interaction with
others are built and perceptions of an individual's own behaviour are developed. Social
competence frequently encompasses social skills, social communication, and interpersonal
communication.
• Competence is directly connected to social behaviour, such as social motives, abilities,
skills, habits, and knowledge. All of these social factors contribute to the development of a
person's behaviour.
Communication and Social competence In terms of Context: Communicative competence
is the ability to achieve communicative goals in a socially appropriate manner.
• It is organized and goal-oriented, i.e. it includes the ability to select and apply skills that are
appropriate and effective in the respective context.
• It includes verbal and non-verbal behaviour. The application of communicative competence
is serial, i.e. different processes and activities are coordinated in a typical sequence and
require appropriate timing and control of specific behaviour.
• It is influenced by the behaviour of the other person and by the context and requires the
preparedness and willingness to communicate with the other person for the benefit of all.
• Communicative competence can be acquired, i.e. the necessary skills are built up step by
step through repeated, reflected practice and experience.
Communication and Social competence In terms of Feelings, Intentions & Behaviour:
Effectiveness or skill in interpersonal relations and social situations, increasingly considered
an important component of mental health.
Social competence involves the ability to evaluate social situations and determine what is
expected or required; to recognize the feelings and intentions of others; and to select social
behaviours that are most appropriate for that given context.
It is important to note, however, that what is required and appropriate for effective social
functioning is likely to vary across settings.
If we talk about behaviour it is made up of our own intentions may be good or bad which is
developed from our feelings which can be good or bad for our people with whom we are
communicating.
Right Behaviour is very important for making right decisions while working professionally
which is formed from right feelings & right intentions for the work.
Providing and Receiving feedback
 Put another way, communication is a dialogue for the purpose of achieving
understanding to ensure understanding, there needs to be some sort of reflection on
the message. And this is where feedback comes in.
 Feedback is quite simply a dialogue between people that reflects how a person sees
another person's behaviour or performance.
 Feedback is therefore a fundamental part of achieving effective two-way
communication. Without feedback, communication is nothing more than information.
 This makes feedback the primary component in the communication process because it
gives the sender the opportunity to analyse the effect of the message.
 It helps the sender ensure that the recipient has interpreted the message correctly.
 Feedback is therefore a necessary element in communication for achieving
understanding.
So start giving and receiving feedback that will make you a better leader. So start giving
and receiving feedback that will make you a better leader.
FEEDBACK IS NECESSARY FOR SUCCESSFUL INTERNAL COMMUNICATION
 Internal communication is often viewed as a message from upper management that is
passed down through the company via managers to the staff. But it tends to be more
about informing than about communicating.
  If we want employees to understand the objective of what is being "communicated",
we need to start by explaining "why" and by listening to the managers' and the
employees' reflections. Only then can we find out whether the message has been
understood correctly. Focusing on feedback in internal communication ensures a
common understanding of the message.
 It also makes managers and employees responsible for reflecting on and feeling
involved in the process of sharing responsibility.
 In our ever-changing work lives, feedback is necessary for creating a positive working
environment, where employees feel involved in the changes, and for establishing an
atmosphere of understanding and security.
 It gives employees the opportunity to contribute with ideas and promotes a climate of
innovation, there by making the best best possible use of the employees' knowledge
and skills .
THE MANAGER PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE
• This makes managers the most important communication channel. They are closest to the
employees on a day-to-day basis, and they need to be able to convert the overriding strategies
and goals into understandable and operational intermediate goals.
• The employees need to understand "why", the value of it, and what is required to contribute
to the common goals. And the managers are the best people to explain how their work
assignments relate to the strategic objectives.
• Think of feedback as effective listening, where you can find out whether the employees
have understood the communication while at the same time showing them that their input is
valued. That in itself promotes motivation and participation.
• Feedback is one of the cornerstones of development as well as a type of learning that
contributes to more motivated employees. They feel seen and that their work is important,
and it feels good to go to work.
• The manager also has to be able use feedback from the employee constructively. And for
both parties, it is not just a matter of listening and understanding, but also acting when
necessary and perhaps even changing a behaviour.
CLARITY AT ALL LEVELS
• For management, it is therefore important to specify the goals and objectives of the
communication and to specify what is expected of the managers.
• It's about having managers who serve as ambassadors. To achieve this, the company needs
to invest in supporting their managers in the development of their leadership skills.
• In this lies a great challenge, but also huge profits for companies which can use feedback to
breed success through effective internal communication!
• To make it work, the connecting thread is clarity at all levels. Clarity about the company's
strategy and goals, clarity about the role of the manager and clarity about what is expected of
the individual.
Difference between Tact and Intelligence
• Emotional Intelligence: Emotional intelligence is the ability to identify and manage your
own emotions.
While intelligence involves the capacity to acquire and apply knowledge effectively. Let's
explore the significance of both in effective leadership.
• Tact: Tact is the ability to deliver a difficult message in a way that considers other people's
feelings and preserves relationships. It encompasses many things, such as emotional
intelligence, discretion, compassion, honesty, and courtesy.
Discover strategies for becoming more self-aware. Good leaders are self-aware, and here
you'll learn how to lead with a sense of purpose, authenticity, openness, trust, and tact.
Being aware of potential knowledge gaps allows you to better understand your current
competency and areas for improvement, so you can find suitable content and curate your own
learning path.
The courses recommended at the end of this benchmark can help you fill potential gaps in
your knowledge.
Emotional Intelligence: Trust through Communication
Show empathy
Empathy is the ability to put yourself in someone else's shoes and feel what they feel. It is
also the key to building rapport and trust with anyone. When you show empathy, you
acknowledge and validate the other person's emotions, needs, and perspectives. You also
demonstrate that you care about them as a human being not just as a means to an end. To
show empathy, you can use active listening skills, such as paraphrasing, reflecting, and
asking open-ended questions. You can also use nonverbal cues, such as eye contact, nodding,
and smiling, to convey your interest and attention.
Be authentic
Authenticity is the quality of being honest, genuine, and consistent with your values and
beliefs. It is also the quality that makes people trust you and respect you. When you are
authentic, you show your true self to the other person, without hiding, pretending, or
manipulating. You also express your opinions and feelings in a respectful and constructive
way, without being aggressive or defensive. To be authentic, you can use self-disclosure,
such as sharing your personal stories, experiences, and emotions, to create a connection and
show vulnerability.
Emotional Intelligence: Trust through Communication
Managing emotions
Emotions are powerful and inevitable in any human interaction. They can either help or
hinder your ability to persuade someone, depending on how you manage them. When you
manage your emotions, you control your impulses, reactions, and behaviours, and prevent
them from interfering with your goals and relationships. You also regulate your emotions,
such as anger, fear, or frustration, and channel them into positive and productive actions. To
manage your emotions, you can use self-awareness, such asrecognizing your triggers,
patterns, and effects, to monitor and understand your emotional state..
Respect differences
Differences are inevitable and valuable in any human interaction. They can either enrich or
challenge your ability to persuade someone, depending on how you respect them. When you
respect differences, you appreciate and celebrate the diversity of opinions, perspectives, and
styles that the other person brings to the table. You also acknowledge and address the
conflicts, misunderstandings, and biases that may arise from the differences.
Provide value Emotional Intelligence: Trust through Communication Value is the benefit
or advantage that you offer to the other person, in exchange for their agreement or
cooperation. It is also the reason why they should trust you and listen to you. When you
provide value, you demonstrate your competence, credibility, and relevance, and show how
you can help the other person achieve their goals or solve their problems. You also align your
value proposition with the other person's interests, needs, and values, and show how you can
create a win-win situation.
To provide value, you can use research, such as gathering information, analysing data, and
finding evidence, to support your arguments and claims. You can also use storytelling, such
as using anecdotes, examples, and metaphors, to illustrate your points and engage the other
person's emotions.
Thinking Skills: Meaning and Types
Meaning: Thinking skills refer to your ability to understand and address problems based on
all available information and facts.
Using critical thinking skills at work often involves organising and processing data, facts and
other information to understand a problem and create effective solutions.
Understanding your thinking skills can help you become a better decision-maker.
What are thinking skills?
• Critical thinking skills refer to your ability to analyse facts to understand a topic, problem or
situation thoroughly. The critical thinking process usually includes the steps such as
gathering data and information, asking relevant questions and analysing possible solutions.
• Being objective is essential to critical thinking. This means you analyse the issue without
allowing assumptions, emotions or personal bias to affect how you think about the issue.
Rather, a strong critical thinker can analyse the issue based on the context and information
gathered after carrying out impartial and thorough research.
The critical thinking process
• Determine what the conflict is:-
• Create inference on why the conflict occurs and how you can resolve it
• Gather data or information about the issue through investigation or research
• Organise and categorise data and findings
• Develop and implement solutions
• Analyse what solutions are effective
• Find out how you can improve the solution
Types of thinking Process
Convergent thinking means using logic. Also known as linear or critical thinking,
convergent thinking generally refers to your ability to provide 'correct' answers to standard
questions that don't require significant creativity, such as questions related to most tasks in
schools and standardised tests. Convergent thinking focuses on developing a single, well-
established answer to a problem. When you use convergent thinking to solve an issue, you
consciously use probabilities or standards to make judgements.
Divergent thinking refers to your ability to use your imagination. Also known as horizontal
or creative thinking, divergent thinking is a thought process used to develop ideas by
exploring several possible solutions. When you use divergent thinking, your thoughts usually
occur in a spontaneous, free-flowing way. You explore many possible solutions in a short
period of time and unexpected connections are more easily drawn. After you complete the
process of divergent thinking, you use convergent thinking to organise and structure ideas
and information.
Types of thinking Process
Lateral thinking
Lateral thinking refers to your ability to use both logic and imagination. Also known as
creative thinking, lateral thinking involves solving issues through a creative and indirect
approach. It can involve ideas that might not be obtainable by using only traditional step-by-
step logic and using reasoning that's not immediately obvious. To better understand lateral
thinking, it's important to compare divergent and convergent thinking and create a working
relationship between the two types.
Five types of critical thinking skills
• Observational skills
• Analytical skills
• Inference skills
• Communications skills
Problem-solving skills