“How do you help someone who is mid-career get over the hump of crossing into an executive mindset?” a client asked this question recently.
She added, “You need to build relationships so that others know your work. How you communicate is critical – that’s how you move up in this organization.”
The skills that got you promoted into leadership are different from the skills you need to lead.
Earlier in your career, your communication skills were evaluated based on your ability to present facts and demonstrate results.
But once you become a leader, it’s no longer just about what you know.
It’s about how you convey what you know to others and how you connect on a deeper level – both with your direct reports and with the senior leaders whose roles you hope to step into one day.
As you become a leader and move into senior positions, your communication skills shift:
- From Expertise to Vision: Move beyond demonstrating your knowledge to inspiring others to see your vision for the future. When you speak, clearly show how your words connect to the mission of your organization.
- From Individual Performance to Building Relationships: Evolve from focusing on individual achievements to fostering strong relationships with others. Seek out leaders in your organization and ask them thoughtful questions about their roles and their experience. With your direct reports, practice active listening to better understand their needs.
- From Problem-Solving to Empowering: Recognize that a leadership role entails empowering others to solve problems as opposed to solving all the problems for them. Mentor others, give them opportunities to develop their skills, and empower them to find the solutions to problems within your organization.
As you embrace these new communication skills – Vision, Relationships, Empowerment – you will create a more connected, motivated, and high-performing team. This will not only elevate your team’s success but also pave the way for you to move into more senior positions.
This is the core message of my Lead With Your Voice keynote: helping leaders understand that their most powerful leadership tool is their voice. Your ability to inspire and connect will define your success.
As you grow your leadership role, consider how your communication style needs to evolve.
