We all know that leaders must have good communication skills, they should know how to listen and how to speak, but these are only a couple of the things a great communicator has to do.
But the real goal of communication for a leader is to make sure everybody understands the message the he/she is delivering. In order to do so, the leader has to give his/her message in a form that complies with the following steps, according to John Kotter in his bestseller “Leading Change”.
1. Simplicity: Just keep it simple. Keep the buzzwords and jargon out of your message. The less the jargon, the more the people that will understand the message.
2. Use stories and metaphors to deliver the message. If you can compare the situation you’re trying to expose with experiences you share with the group you’re delivering the message, then much better. We all remember best if we can relate new information to a common experience.
3. Use different media to deliver the message. We are all different, and as such, we all have different “prefered” learning styles. Some people prefer to read a message, others to hear it, others to “visualize it”, and others to have a person to person experience. If what you’re saying is so important, then don’t
4. Repeat the message as often as you can. This is something we can learn from TV commercials, after a while we all know what the commercial says and we identify clearly a gingle when we hear the first 3 or 4 bars. You have to strive to get that kind of understanding of your messages.
5. Lead by example. Sometimes the best way to deliver a message is to “Walk the Talk”. Nothing is more eloquent than watching someone doing what he’s saying.
6. Explain inconsistencies. Sometimes the messages you’re delivering might be condractory or inconsistent to other people’s eyes, probably they don’t have all the information you do, and the message doesn’t fit in their minds. You have to be aware of those inconsistencies and have to explain them.
7. Listen and Be Listened To. If you want others to listen to your messages, then start by yourself. Go out and listen to your people, and then ask them to listen you. To me this is the number one rule of communication, don’t forget it. (also see: Leadership and Bad Habits, Not Listening )
LEADERSHIP ACTIONS
1. Next time you’re going to deliver a message go through the list above and check the message against it.
2. Correct anything you find it doesn’t fit. And by all means, keep the message as simple and short as possible.
3. Be Alert, Be A Leader. 
Leadership
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