At a recent conference the speaker said two things that stuck with me…
‘Leadership is a communications process, and that if you can’t communicate then you can’t lead’.
In some ways that could be seen as harsh – everyone believes they can communicate, we can all talk. But when it comes to leadership how much more important is it to be able to be genuine, articulate priorities and engage the people you serve.
The statement also stood out as it aligns so well with my area of focus and the thing that most comes up for people as I coach and consult. How to get people to follow, engage, produce more or understand what’s important? This has more to do with the individual’s approach and confidence rather than the channel used. It certainly is something we should all take a look at and consider.
It’s these themes that got me thinking and led me to create a framework that I coach and consult with. The framework EDGE (Engaging, Dynamic, Genuine and Effective) is all about the attributes needed to communicate, connect and engage wherever you lead. It can elevate your ability to impact and influence people. It can enable you to have the confidence that says you don’t need to shy away from owning the messages that your people need to hear from you.
One piece of advice…
Take the time to look at your approach and understand where your gaps are. It might be the last thing you think you can do with all the other priorities you have; but it might also be the last thing you do that enables you to tackle all those challenges more effectively.
