When I think about what it takes to be an effective leader, I revert to my own memories of people and experiences from my personal and professional life. You can probably think of leaders who you have admired over the years and maybe some who missed the mark. For me, communication is an essential skill that leaders must learn to perfect, while remembering that talking is not communication. The language of leadership is centered on connecting and is much more powerful when leaders have the ability to connect with people through both their hearts and their minds.

Improving communication is one of those areas that most effective leaders keep as an ongoing goal. How can we ever check it off as a goal achieved? Even when others think you are a good communicator, you are faced with continuing challenges to capture hearts and minds as you strive to influence others to embrace change willingly.

Unfortunately we can’t learn the language of leadership from Rosetta Stone. Our own experiences and those of others become our teacher. Some things I’ve learned along the way involve our daily ongoing communication:

• Building relationships through personal interest and interaction with people
• Practicing respectful attentive listening
• Seeking and valuing all points of view
• Consistently telling the truth
• Keeping promises
• Matching our body language with our message

On the occasions when we are trying to change people’s ideologies or inspire them to change, some suggestions might include:

• Understanding your audience
• Capturing their attention
• Stating your message, hopes and plans clearly
• Choosing words, stories and examples that come from the heart
• Addressing “why” change is needed
• Checking that our body language is congruent with our message
• Finishing strong – positive and passionate

I am so thankful for the wonderful models of leadership I have experienced in my career. I have been blessed to be associated with caring, excellent leaders who were able to generate enthusiasm and motivation through their leadership language skills that inspired lasting change and in many cases, their powerful language skills transformed followers into leaders.

Jane Bidlack, ACC