Leadership Communications: Lead, Inspire, And Motivate

Leadership Communications: Lead, Inspire, And Motivate

Being in a leadership position means learning to lead, inspire, and motivate your team. One of the most important aspects of leadership is communication. You may have experienced a scenario where a communication breakdown occurred. This probably led to confusion amongst your team. 

Communication is critical to your team's success.

Your team is looking to you for direction and guidance on their day-to-day projects.  Strong communication skills will help you direct your team, and keep them focused. 

As a VIP Communications Pass holder, this article is packed with extra tips and tools to show you how to be a more confident communicator, including videos, downloadable tips, step-by-step instructions, and more! 

https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/698702911

VIP Communications Pass Video: Leadership Communications

The good news is, you can learn to improve your leadership communications. Below we break down three strategies to help you lead, inspire, and motivate your team through communications. 

 

1. Lead

No matter how long you've been in a leadership position, you know your team's success depends on how well you lead. This can feel overwhelming, especially if you are a new manager. However, there are several things you can do to ensure you are leading your team with confidence.

Consider the following.

• Clear Communication - Clear communication is critical if you want to be a great leader. What you say and how you say it can significantly impact your team. You will want to make sure the intent of your message matches the impact. For example, one way to keep your communication clear is to tailor your message to your audience. Tailoring your message means thinking about your message from your audience's point of view. Your audience could be anyone on your team, superiors, or colleagues. When you have clear communication, you ensure your message lands the way you intended. 
• Emotional Intelligence - The more emotionally intelligent you are, the more powerful you will be at communicating. Leaders need to be emotionally intelligent. Emotional intelligence helps you effectively communicate, overcome challenges, and dissolve conflict, which are keys to being an effective leader. For example, a good leader knows their team's limitations. When you have a strong emotional intelligence, you will be able to delegate responsibilities and not overwhelm yourself or your team.
• Consistency - Leading a team means leading by example. If you want your team to emulate you, you need to be consistent. This means doing what you say you will do. You can't expect your team to take direction from you if you aren't consistent in return. For example, if you call a team meeting and want everyone there by 9 am, you should be there before it starts. If you are late, it will hurt your credibility. Make sure you are always being consistent with your team.

Leading a team is an important job. Make sure you are being clear in your communication from the beginning. The more consistent you are, the more you will build your credibility with your team.

 

2. Inspire

As a leader, it is up to you to inspire your team. Inspiring your team will help them see how their work impacts the company. To inspire, you need to give your team a purpose, show them their strengths, and make sure you recognize each team member individually.

Consider the following:

• Give Them Purpose - When your team has a purpose, they will be inspired to do their best work. For example, one way to show them their purpose is to explain how what they do impacts the company. Remind them of the company's vision and how they are a part of fulfilling this vision. If you lead the digital media team, you could explain how digital media is how the rest of the world interacts with the company. Their work is imperative to reaching the company's consumers. The more aligned your team feels with the company, the more inspired they will be. 
• Identify Strengths - Everyone on your team has a strength. However, people often don't know exactly what they are good at. As the leader, you need to identify each person's strengths and let them know what they are. For example, you can email a team member about something you've noticed. You could say something like, "Ryan, congratulations on getting XYZ company to renew their contract with us. You are really good at client retention!  Keep up the good work!" Pointing out strengths will help inspire your team to lean into their strengths and do their best work.
• Recognize Them - Another way to inspire your team is to recognize them. For example, you can recognize individual team members during a meeting, showcasing what they've done well. You can also recognize team members by spending time getting to know them. For example, you can have lunch with a few team members every week or month. Show your team you genuinely see them and the work they are doing. The more seen a team member feels, the more inspired they will be.

Inspiring leaders communicate authentically with their team, showing them how valuable they are to the company.

3. Motivate

There will be times your team needs motivation. Maybe the last project didn't work out as everyone had hoped. Or your team is simply feeling overwhelmed. Whatever the reason, it is up to you, as their leader, to motivate them.

Consider the following:

• Actively Listen - If your team feels overwhelmed, you will want to be sure and listen to them. Actively listening will help them feel heard and provide you with important details on how you can help the situation. For example, let's say your team feels overwhelmed by a new project deadline. After explaining their frustration, make sure you acknowledge them with your response. You can say something like, "I think what you are trying to say is the timeframe given for this upcoming project is putting a strain on everyone? Is this right?" Once you are clear on what the team needs, you can implement a solution with them. Your team will feel heard, which will motivate them to keep going.
• Set Clear Goals With Rewards - Rewards are a great motivator. When setting goals for your team, make sure they are clear and come with specific rewards. For example, you could say, "Our goal for the month is to sell five new cars. If we collectively meet this goal, everyone on the team will get an additional half-day of vacation." This goal is clear, measurable, and comes with a reward everyone can understand. Your team will be motivated to reach the goal you've given.
• Encourage Collaboration - When your team feels like their input matters, they will be more motivated to do their best work. This is why it is important for you as a leader to encourage collaboration. For example, when you are in a meeting, leave space for your team to give ideas. Show your team their input matters. You can do this by actively listening to their input, and implementing their ideas. 

Leaders need to be able to motivate their teams and help them when faced with adversity. The more motivated your team is, the more successful they will be.

The ability to lead, inspire, and motivate your team depends on how well you can communicate with them. You will be a stronger leader when you have strong communication skills.

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