Communication Secrets of great Leaders

One common trait in all great leaders is that they are excellent communicators. More than that, they are exceptional speakers. These leaders are able to connect to a crowd and each person will come away feeling that the leader was speaking personally to them. This is one of the hallmarks of great leaders – they can feel the pulse of the people and speak accordingly. 

They have a keen external awareness, they can foresee a trend coming and mould their ideas accordingly, communicating them in a way that resonates with people. This is what separates them from other would-be leaders who stammer and muddle their way through speeches or interactions with people. 

Truly great leaders are excellent communicators because they strike a chord within people – they might be talking about their own ideas, but they do it in a way that speaks to people’s emotions and aspirations. They realise clearly that unless they connect on an emotional level with the audience, they will not be understood. Let us look at some of the communication secrets of these leaders: 

They get personal: 

Great leaders don’t just turn great – they evolve, learn through coaching or experience and apply their learnings. They are fearless, bold, convincing and it seems they are speaking from the heart. Most importantly, their speeches are not bland, official communiques. They have such an impact that it can go on to make online trademark registration of its own. 

No – their speeches are full of anecdotes, humour, examples, and often self-deprecating. They seem not to take themselves too seriously and speak as if speaking personally to each person present. That is the secret. They do not have “official” sounding speeches – it is more like a conversation. Not a monologue. They hit popular chords, play on popular sentiment and address the common man’s concerns – all the while, pushing their own agenda. Only, they couch it in terms that resonates and takes root inside every person’s heart – they get personal. 

They speak in easily digestible sentences, simple phrases and clear terms. The simpler and more specific the speech is, the easier it is to understand. And this, precisely, is what people want. Great communicators focus on keeping their speeches clear, simple and concise. This helps them bond with the audience and get their audiences in a receptive mood – they get specific. 

They stay quiet and listen: 

Great leaders are often misjudged – that they are always speaking, voicing their opinions, negating others and being forceful. Actually, nothing could be further from the truth. In most cases, great leaders have come up through the ranks and used information cleverly to their advantage – how? By keeping quiet when it mattered and listening. They have ascended to where they are by speaking only when required. By listening, they have gathered information, known which way the winds are blowing, what the popular opinions are and what to say or not to say. This, they analyse and use in their own experiences later. Great communicators are good listeners because they know it is useful to gather information and knowledge. They know communication is not only about speaking – they stay quiet and listen.

They get specific: 

Great leaders are total believers in the KISS credo: Keep it Short & Simple, stupid. Many leaders have discovered to their dismay, that high-sounding, complex, long-winded speeches precisely achieve nothing. On the contrary, they alienate the audience. Anything even a little complicated can prove confusing to the audience and that is a mistake to be avoided at all costs. Great leaders focus on communicating with clarity similar to how the PM of India announced the arrival of GST registration online in India that redefined tax forever. 

They read between the lines: 

Great leaders are truly great communicators because they have developed the knack of reading between the lines. This ability stands them in good stead – they understand what is not said, witnessed or hear. They know the value of observing, picking up subtle nuances, and keeping their mouth shut. They don’t just listen, they observe with all their senses. As this skill gets used more and more, they develop the uncanny knack of learning what is not said, interpreting what could have happened. They learn the value of depending upon this ability and cultivate it further, keeping silent all the time: they are great observers – they read between the lines. 

They speak to groups as individuals:

Great leaders speak to a group of people and every person comes away feeling that the leader was speaking personally to them. That is the hallmark of these leaders. They can resonate with a crowd in a way few can, aptly constructing their message in a way that every person feels spoken to. They know how to “work a room” – this is a key skill developed over many experiences and interactions. They may speak or stay for a considerably shorter time than others, but the impression they leave is much deeper and lasting. They gain trust, establish credibility and build a strong rapport with each person in the audience. This is key to their popularity and driving their agenda. Great leaders connect on a personal level – they speak to groups as individuals.