Communication is a timeless skill that business leaders in every industry need. An individual with great ideas needs to be able to effectively communicate them so that others can be influenced, persuaded, motivated or inspired. Anyone who aspires to be a great leader understands that communication in all forms needs to be carefully studied and practiced. Different communication skills are needed in giving presentations, having one-on-one discussions, and sending written communication. Improving your leadership abilities requires studying the communication skills of those who excel in this field and striving to improve your own competencies in these areas. Consider a few famous business leaders with good communication skills.
Warren Buffet
It’s hard to believe that Warren Buffet was deathly afraid of public speaking at one time. Like many others, in his youth, he went out of his way to avoid situations where he might be asked to speak. However, he recognized that overcoming this fear was imperative since it’s impossible to achieve your potential without communication skills. He began to face this fear by enrolling in a Dale Carnegie public speaking course.
Buffet advises others to embrace their discomfort and fear. Facing your fears and situations that make you uncomfortable is an important first step toward creating the habits needed to improve your interactions with others.
Oprah Winfrey
Being able to have a conversation with colleagues, bosses, clients, and employees is central to effective leadership, and no one demonstrates this better than Oprah Winfrey. For most of her adult life, she has been driven to inspire others, and her conversations with people from all walks of life are at the heart of what makes her successful.
Oprah has a genuine desire to have authentic interactions with people, clearly communicating interest and empathy while offering encouragement. Her listening skills are part of what makes her so memorable, but she’s equally skilled at expressing things to an audience that are uppermost in the minds of others.
Bill Gates
Bill Gates has had a variety of different roles from entrepreneur to businessman to investor to philanthropist. He has worked hard on his leadership communication skills and has the ability to explain complex subjects in a way that makes them easy to understand.
He works on stating things clearly and simply. He frequently injects humor into his presentations, which helps capture the attention of his audience. He recognizes that business success depends on the ability to communicate with a variety of different people along with being a lifelong learner.
Sheryl Sandberg
With experience as the former Chief Operating Officer of Facebook, Sheryl Sandberg is a great example of a business leader with excellent communication skills. She communicates using her storytelling ability and simple language, and lets others know that listening is an important part of communication. She uses body language to convey confidence and strength, and she tells others of the importance of stepping outside their comfort zone. Her career has been built on speaking up and taking risks and she encourages others to do the same.
These famous business leaders with good communication skills have one thing in common, and that’s that none of them were born with great communication skills. Anyone who recognizes that communication is one of the most important leadership skills can learn to communicate well and get their vision across.
Communication is the skill that allows you to motivate others and lead them through challenging times. The good news is communication skills can be learned as long as you continually make an effort to learn and improve your skills in this area.
Reach out to Peaceful Leaders Academy to learn about training and coaching options in communication and leadership skills.
