Communicating As A Leader

Communicating as a Leader

A paramedic steps into a room that is silent. All that is known is there is an 81 year old female lying on the floor. No one knows what happened, or what is wrong with her. He reaches down and can barely feel a pulse. The lady has slow and shallow respirations, and appears to be turning blue around the lips. The paramedic looks up to find his partner and two other EMTs staring back at him, equipment in hand, waiting for their commands. This medically trained team can not function without clear communication from their leader, the paramedic. His ability to communicate can mean the difference between life and death. How well would you be able to communicate with your team? Not everyone may realize how well they communicate or the importance of their communication.

Communication is the key to success, regardless of the application. It is essential for sports, work, school, and at home. "Communication is a skill that you can learn. It's like riding a bicycle or typing. If you're willing to work at it, you can rapidly improve the quality of every part of your life (Tracy, 2007 Para.1)." A leader requires good communication skills, and it is something that has to be learned. "You're not born to be a leader any more than you're born to be an architect or a doctor (Ansary 2007 Para. 2)." Many look up to mentors and their parents for knowledge, how to lead their own lives, and even the lives of others. Everyone needs guidance, but where the guidance comes from is up to you, which makes people unique.

In order for a team leader to communicate efficiently, the leader must have adequate knowledge about the subject on hand. If the leader does not have the proper education and background, how can this person expect to lead others? There will be times in every leader's path where s/he will not have anyone else to turn to and are solely responsible for making the decisions, resulting in the conflict's resolution. Conflict is what separates leaders from followers. "Leaders have to confront conflict, move to it, engage with it, handle it, use it (Ansary 2007 Para. 4)." The leader holds the future of the group in his hands, whether it is their grades, a person's life, or business. If the leader makes a decision based on education, regardless if right or wrong, the leader will be able to justify the reasoning behind the decision.

The ability to keep calm and organized can mean the difference between life and death. "The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn't being said Drucker, 2007 Para. 1)." A leader will not always be smacked in the face with a solution, and may sometimes not even know what the problem is. It is up to the leader though, to do the research, figure things out, and pass to the group a situation to be carried out.

A leader does not just bark orders at team mates, that is what a boss does. A leader inspires, and promotes thought, and puts events into action. "Effective communication is 20% what you know and 80% how you feel about what you know (Rohn, 2007 Para. 1)." If you are unsure of your decision, or if you do not feel your solution will work, the rest of the team will see through your faÐ*ade. If you do not feel strongly about your stance on a situation and the decisions you make, you cannot expect the group to carry out a task that they do not feel will work.

A leader needs to play his role and oversee the role of others. By assigning each member a task to fulfill, events can happen simultaneously. This allows the leader a chance to step back and make sure things go smoothly. By doing this, s/he is free to assist if something does not go according to plan, and to formulate a "plan B" if necessary. Handing over control to individuals to do their assigned task is not always easy to do. The leader must feel comfortable in each member's ability to perform their