Key to Successful Communication

There are many key aspects to leadership. One big one is communication!

3 main keys to effective communication as a leader are: Engage, Encourage, and Energize. Let's look into each of those.

Engage:
Do you have an open door policy as a leader? Do you let others know that you want to be approached when they need something? Will you approach others when needed?
A key to being engaging with others, is to listen and let others know you care about their input. So many times, as leaders, we want to control the situation, and instruct what needs to be done. Instead, encourage new ideas, find people looking outside the box, share thoughts with others. "Coming together, working together, sharing together, succeeding together." - Author Unknown

Encourage:
"The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty." - Winston Churchill
Look to praise others and build others up. Catch someone doing something right. Make a big deal of it. Look to lift others up, encourage others when they least expect it. Use many forms, meeting, social media, email, etc. People will believe in and follow others who believe in them.

Energize:
Inspire others! When Sean Payton took over the New Orleans Saints, he had to get other coaches and players excited about what they could accomplish. The year before the Saints had to play all their home games outside the city of New Orleans. He had a huge task in front of him, but wasn't scared of it...his energy was able to bring in top players like Drew Brees who believed not only that they could win a championship, but also make a difference in a community. Even when you face daily struggles, strong leaders motivate others around them.