Communicate Like a Leader

Contributed by: Curtis Newbold, PhD

Difficulty level: Easy

Entire textbooks and college degrees have been built out of the concepts of leadership and, in particular, leadership communication. Learning to communicate like a leader with high impact is hard to do with a short reading like this. But…we’re going to try.

Of the vast array of theories, processes, and techniques for communicating as a leader, I’ve narrowed them down into a handy five-part acronym: PANDA—Persuasion, Assertiveness, Negotiation, Delegation, and Accountability. PANDA doesn’t cover everything you’ll need to know for communicating like a leader, but it puts you in a good position to work in ways that people will respond to.

P—Persuasion

Getting people to trust, get on board with, and act upon your ideas and policies are crucial to being a successful leader; however, persuading people to do what you want requires more than a power dynamic. Employees have to trust you and respect you. They have to feel supported and see you as humble, integrity-minded, and fair.

Sure, being in a leadership role will naturally cause employees to follow your command. But if they want to follow you—which, really, should be your primary goal when persuading—you’ll be a much more successful leader. To become a persuasive leader, adhere to the following communication strategies:

Be empathetic

Actively listen to your employees. Hear their concerns and needs. When employees feel like you care about what ...