5 Strategies to Improve Your Communication Skills as a Leader

Does your team struggle to reach their full potential? You’re not alone. 

Despite the best intentions of leaders and the hard work of team members, high performance often remains elusive. At the heart of this challenge lies a critical aspect of leadership that's frequently overlooked by busy leaders and overwhelmed teams: clear communication.

The consequences of poor communication are far-reaching: teams lose direction, productivity suffers, and engagement plummets. But by focusing on clear communication, leaders can transform their teams and drive exceptional results.

Here are 5 strategies that can improve your communication skills as a leader.

(You can also download my Communication Toolkit for Leaders here!)

1. Recognize Individual Strengths

People crave purpose and recognition in their roles. Take time to uncover the unique talents within your team.

Your Action Item: Seek to  know your team member’s individual strengths, schedule one-on-one meetings with each team member to discuss their strengths. Use tools like Gallup CliftonStrengths® to gain deeper insights.

Your Reflection Question: How can I better leverage my team's individual strengths in our daily operations? 

2. Connect Work to the Company's Mission

When team members understand how their work contributes to the bigger picture, engagement and motivation increase.

How to implement:

1. Clearly articulate your company's mission in simple terms.
2. In team meetings, explicitly link current projects to this mission.
3. Encourage team members to share how they see their work contributing to the company's goals.

Your Action Item: Create a visual representation (e.g., a diagram or infographic) that shows how each team member's role connects to the company's mission. Share and discuss this in your next team meeting.

Your Reflection Question: How often do I reinforce the connection between our daily tasks and our company's broader mission?

3. Cast a Vision with a 30/60/90 Day Plan

Breaking down your vision into manageable chunks makes it more tangible and achievable for your team.

How to implement:

1. Start with your long-term goal or vision.
2. Break it down into what needs to be achieved in the next 30, 60, and 90 days.
3. Assign specific, measurable objectives to each timeframe.
4. Regularly review and adjust the plan with your team.

Your Action Item: Create your own  30/60/90 day plan for your current major project. Share it with your team and gather their input.

Your Reflection Question: How can I make our long-term vision more actionable and immediate for my team?

4. Implement Effective Meeting Check-ins and Check-outs

Bookending your meetings with clear communication sets the tone and ensures everyone leaves aligned.

Meeting check-in process:

1. Start with a brief mood check (e.g., "How is everyone feeling today what do you need as an outcome of our meeting today?")
2. Review the meeting agenda and objectives.
3. Ask if there are any additional items to discuss.

Meeting check-out process:

1. Summarize key decisions and action items. Circle back on outcomes needed.
2. Assign clear owners and deadlines for each action item 
3. Ask if there are any lingering questions or concerns.
4. End with a forward-looking statement (e.g., "Let's reconvene next week to review progress.")

Your Action Item: Create your own unique plan for  “check-ins” and “check-outs.” Use it in your next team meeting and gather feedback.

Your Reflection Question: How can I make our meetings more focused and productive through better opening and closing practices?

5. Recognize Achievements Each Week

Celebrating small victories keeps motivation high and reinforces positive behaviors.

Ask this question during team meetings: "Where did we shine brightest as a team this week?”

Why ask this?

• It encourages team members to reflect on positive achievements.
• It fosters a culture of appreciation and recognition.
• It helps identify successful practices that can be replicated.
• It boosts team morale and cohesion.

Your Action Item: Implement a "weekly win" sharing session in your team meetings. Encourage everyone to contribute.

Your Reflection Question: How can I create more opportunities to celebrate my team's successes, both big and small?

Start Small

Remember, improvement is a journey. Start by choosing one or two of these tips to focus on, and gradually incorporate the others as you and your team grow together.

To support you on this journey, we've created a free Communication Toolkit for Leaders. It includes templates, checklists, and additional tips to help you implement these strategies in your daily leadership practice.

You can download it here!

>> Want to dive deeper into these strategies? Book a discovery call with me to discuss how we can tailor these approaches to your specific leadership challenges.