Communication Skills

Date: June 10, 2014

Name: Company of Young Professional Development Series – Connect Like a Leader and Harnessing the Power of Others through Superior Communication Skills

Presenter: Lisa Martin, Coach of Lisa Martin International

To become a successful leader, communication skill is the essential key success factor. Leaders need to craft concise messages through peers to ensure the proper communication is established effectively. In this seminar, Lisa will help the audience to change from a typical leader to a “RockStar Leader”.

The RockStar Leader Model

Martin believes in order for people to be at the top, they need to acquire and master the 6 skills from the model.

Type of Skills	Characteristic / Description
Capacity	Managing the major stress through demands Self Managing Shine Bright not Burn out
Consistency	Continue to create value through personal strength Play with Strength, not Weakness Consistent Delivery
Commitment	Passion through Work
Can-Do	Believe the possibility Optimistic Get Things Done
Character	Fundamental Skills integrity and Trust
Connection	Build Meaningful Relationships Clarity

All Skills are integrated together; therefore, leaders require achieving excellent in each element.

Connection Model

Leaders need have the ability to create meaningful relationship. Leaders should surround themselves with passion. Moreover, leaders are like a connector and they are born to care generously and contribute to others.

Three steps for leaders to improve connection:

1)     Connect & Care – Reach out and genuinely get to know all types of people

2)     Listen & Learn – Hear and absorb new information and perspective

3)     Influence & Inspire – Create visionary, lead with integrity and support others

The best leaders should always have self-awareness. Furthermore, leaders can seek their blind spots from others. People are not motivated by others; however, people are motivated by their needs. Leaders need to show best in interests of others, and leaders should ask great questions to understand others perspectives.

“To be heard, you have to listen well”

Probe for a Clearer Understanding

Martin believes there are three ways can help leaders to listen well. First, leaders can ask more detail about others by saying “Say more about that”. Second, Leaders can clarify others by saying “What do you mean when you say X?”. Lastly, leaders can confirm others by saying “You have mentioned X twice. Tell me what is important about that?”

Leaders need to use more “What” questions instead of “Why” questions.

Leaders can pick up senses based on others body language and emotion. Leaders need to keep in mind that enthusiastic is not equivalent to experience.

Leaders can go deep by follow-up with others by understand their next steps, the best way to mitigate their problems, understand the risks and the true reasons behind their problems.

Leaders seek to inspire and to believe themselves. They can take actions to make the difference. By influencing others, they can make changes happen. Moreover, leaders have to courage to connect like a leader.

Leaders traits can be learn from role models. Martin recommends future leaders to seek role models from different industries. Despite the question of quality versus quantity communication, Martin believes it is more important to create one meaningful relationship then multiple connections with people they might never connect you.

Martin also believes leaders need to take away the bias from different industries to create meaningful relationship. The barriers of unheard communication come from others who are not pay attention or not asking the right questions.

The strategy for leaders to achieve self-awareness is for leaders to be curious about personal growth and open up from feedback.