I was reflecting on a recent 2-day executive workshop I led for a group of financial service leaders. It was a rare opportunity for these senior leaders to take two full days out of their busy schedules to pause and breathe, reflect, and grow.
Their goal: sharpen their skills to be better leaders, both in the way they communicate and the way in which they inspire and motivate others.
I loved hearing their core take-aways, which provide learning lessons for all of us.
1—Don’t underestimate the power of your words.
- As a leader, every word matters. It’s incredibly important to be intentional both about what you want to say and how you want others to feel, and leaders recognize the deep responsibility they have for the words they use.
2—Words alone are not enough.
- Most leaders spend all their time focused on the words and the message. However, just as important is the way you infuse those words with energy and intention: through your gestures, your movement, and your voice. If there’s a disconnect between your words and your nonverbal communication, your audience will pay attention to the nonverbal and mistrust the words.
3—Free your natural speaking style.
- Each leader has their own unique speaking style and personality. But so often, they have squashed it to fit inside a corporate box. Maybe they needed that earlier in their career, but now it’s holding them back from stepping into their authentic leadership. This means: it’s holding back their ability to influence others and build trust. In our workshop, I didn’t try to turn these leaders into someone else – I provided a safe space and a series of skills to bring out who they really were and show them what they were really capable of. When you show up as your best self, you have a powerful impact on others.
To sum up these take-aways:
Words matter.
Energy does too.
Your personality makes it come alive.
Authentic leadership communication means having the courage to be yourself at your best. I hope these take-aways inspire you as much as they inspired me.