"People buy into the leader before they buy into the vision."―John C. Maxwell Effective leadership communication skills are a must in any leader. In the corporate world today, a leader communicates with a number of people on a daily basis, such as his subordinates, clients, media persons, shareholders, investors, etc. The success of any leader in dealing, negotiating, and working with all these people depends a lot on his interpersonal skills. If he is able to form a kind of connection with the people he interacts with, though his gestures, the way he communicates and presents himself, he can accomplish a lot more. Let us know the communication and leadership skills one needs to possess which will make a leader a 'people's person'. Make Others Feel Special Have you ever given it a thought as to why do people think that political figures like Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and industry stalwarts, like Richard Brandon and Bill Gates, are great leaders? It is because all of them possess this great quality of connecting with people at some level, with the way they communicate. Through the words that they speak, their gestures, body language, and the way they maintain eye contact, they are able to convey a feeling to other people that they matter. They have this uncanny ability to make people feel special through their communication! And that's what differentiates successful leaders from others. Compelling and Inspirational Every organization, whether political or economic, has a goal. There are some set of values, strategies, and procedures, which every one working in it has to follow, in order to reach that goal. The onus on making people in the organization realize that the goals are important and so are they, lies totally on the leader. He should convey his and his organization's vision in a very clear, confident and compelling way so that people themselves take initiative in working towards that vision. In short, through his leadership qualities and communication, a leader should be able to inspire other people to work for him. Clear and Consistent Whether a leader is communicating with clients, his subordinates, or with media people to promote the company's products, it is important that a leader is very clear on what he is speaking. Also, he should be consistent in his opinions and avoid being contradictory as this instills trust in the audience. The more clear and consistent a leader is in his communication, the more he is understood and trusted. Exemplify Model Behavior Effective communication skills have a direct bearing on the way subordinates behave and communicate. So, if a leader wants his staff to be transparent, respectful, trustworthy, and open in their communication with one another and with company's clients, he should model the same behavior. The way a leader interacts with his clients, his subordinates are to follow suit. Good Listener A leader should have excellent listening skills. Communication is not just about talking, a lot of it is about listening and understanding as well. If others feel that the leader understands them, they will be more forthcoming and open in their opinions, feelings, and thoughts while conversing with him, which is a very positive sign for any organization. Charismatic A leader should be charismatic. There should be an aura of authority around him, at the same time people should feel that he is approachable. Being well-dressed, knowledgeable, remembering small details about others personal lives, and inquiring about them from time to time, basically finding a balance between being a task master and a softie are some ways to being charismatic. Contrary to what people believe, communication skills can be acquired by anybody through practice. A thorough understanding of the psychology and demographics of the people one is communicating with, and molding one's communication and leadership style according to that, leads to better communication. Anyone can inform his staff and clients about the company's products, policies, marketing strategies and other things, but it is up to the leader to transform that mere information into effective communication.