About 3-1/2 years ago, I joined Klemchuk LLP as a first-time partner, which means that while I was getting familiar with the new law firm, I was also learning what it means to be a partner. Like it or not, being a partner in a law firm means being in a leadership role, and I believe the future success of any law firm rests largely on the leadership skills of the partners. Based on that belief, I take leadership seriously and try to develop that skill set just like any other professional skill set. Effective communication is one of the most important skills of a leader. In an article for Forbes entitled '10 Communication Secrets of Great Leaders,' Mike Myatt explains that being a great communicator is not about being a great talker, which focuses on the messenger. Instead, being a great communicator is about meeting the needs and the expectations of the audience. He explains that the number one thing great communicators have in common is "a heightened sense of situational and contextual awareness." This means that the leader is a good listener, makes good observations, can read the person or group, and can adapt his or her message "without missing a beat."

Following are a few actions that result in great communication:

Building Trust

This requires integrity and congruence between the leader's words and actions. As Mike Myatt explains: "While you can attempt to demand trust, it rarely works. Trust is best created by earning it with right acting, thinking, and decisioning."

Developing Relationships

Traditional leadership principles advocate staying at arms length from others in the organization, but the downside is that the leader will "remain in the dark receiving only highly sanitized versions of the truth."

Communicating Specifics

It is important to communicate with clarity, eliminating ambiguity, and getting specific and uncomplicated. "Your goal is to weed out the superfluous and to make your words count."

Having an Open Mind

This means willingly seeking out those who disagree with your point of view with "the goal not of convincing them to change their mind, but with the goal of understanding what's on their minds."

Being Empathetic

When candid conversations are required to address a difficult situation, communicating with empathy displays a certain authenticity and transparency that is absent if the same message is communicated with arrogance. Communicating with empathy and understanding can help turn "anger into respect and doubt into trust."

Listening and Observing

Great leaders know when to broadcast their message and when to engage in meaningful conversations, which include active listening. Great leaders also observe the organization and can read between the lines to understand what is not being said and increase their organizational awareness.

Since most leaders spend a majority of their time each day communicating with others, and many organizational problems result from poor communications, it is important for leaders to focus on developing their communication skills.

Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/mikemyatt/2012/04/04/10-communication-secrets-of-great-leaders/

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