Overarching relevance of communication in leadership

Leaders need followers to achieve results, and leadership is a team sport with lots of contact. It should not be surprising that good leaders exhibit above-average communication and interpersonal skills. Not all leaders are good communicators, but then again, there are many inferior leaders and managers. Effective communication skills, including listening, are necessary to craft and define a vision for the group, a set of ideals and objectives that the group should aspire to achieve. Such skills are also important in interpreting situations and conditions affecting the organization, in sense-making for the group.

The born-made dichotomy is clear in this instance: Most people learn through practice and experience to be great communicators. Winston Churchill's speeches were hardly spontaneous; there was much theater involved, and the speeches were carefully worked over. Churchill's father made young Winston memorize and recite the speeches of famous British orators in order to overcome a childhood speech impediment. Technological changes are also bringing major challenges and opportunities into this realm. Effective communicators continually work at it.

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