Leadership Skills - Communication.

A few days back I posted an article on Getting Things Done which looked at various themes around using the power of influence in a business arena and also considering the importance for a leader of having a good balance of softer "people skills" with a harder "results drive".


Since that posting, I have been reminded of a few more important skills that a Leader should have in his tool-kit.


The first is being able to build rapport through communication.  Research has shown when communicating with others only 7% of our message is actually portrayed by the words that we use......of the rest, 13% is in the way that we say things and the remainder, a massive 80%, by our body language.  Effective leaders are able to read and use this language....either consciously or subconsciously !  NLP offers us some really good insights into the communication preferences that people have and opens up new avenues for better communication.


Along a similar line, This week's Booz & Co Strategy and Business E-Zine carries an interview with Peter Guber, the Hollywood Film Producer, Author and Entrepreneur which discusses the merits of being able to bring "narrative communication" into business management.  In terms of engaging with people, communicating facts and figures is not the be-all and end-all of selling an idea or gaining commitment.  In addition to delivering a "rational argument", the most effective leaders are also able to sell their ideas through  delivery of an "emotional argument" too.  The interview makes for an interesting read !