4 Ways To Improve Your Communication Skills

Teamwork requires communication. Communication is the lifeblood of a team. It’s how leaders and teams coordinate what needs to be done, who needs to do it, and how all those various tasks fit into the broad whole of collaboration. As a leader, communication skills are arguably the most important skills to develop. And if you’re an aspiring leader, you’ll need to improve your communication skills before you even find yourself in a leadership role.

In this article, we’ll outline four ways to improve your communication skills and hence 4 ways to grow in your ability to lead.

Listen Actively

The first way to improve your communication skills is to listen actively. Most of the work of communication involves listening first and seeking to understand those who will receive whatever message you want to convey. However, many people (and too many leaders) listen passively or listen for the pause in someone else’s communication so they can shove their message in and dominate the conversation. Active listening involves being focused on hearing the other person, including asking questions to get more information and even summarizing what you’ve heard them say before you speak. If you listen to understand, then check for understanding, you’ll ensure that when you do speak, you’re understood as well.