Communication & Leadership
© 2008
Dr. David Byers
Communication and Leadership
are at the heart of all successes and all failures
within any organization—even in your home!
Getting to the Heart of It All
“Effective listening and effective leadership are inseparable.”
Steil & Bommelje
Listen to Lead
Communication that seeks a
positive relationship between communicators while addressing the problem.
Supportive Communication
Empathy in Listening
Putting yourself in the position of others and seeing the world as they see it
Listening and responding effectively to someone is as important as delivering the message itself
Listen to Respond
Hearing
Focusing on the message
Comprehending and interpreting
Analyzing and Evaluating
Responding
Remembering
Active Listening
•Hold off on making
assumptions
•Avoid being quick to
offer advice
•Eliminate distractions
and physical barriers
•Be continuously
respectful
•Be aware of your inner
voice
•Develop greater empathy
for others
Active Listening –Quick Tips
Benefits of Empathic Listening
• Builds trust and respect
• Increased cooperation
• Capture entire message
• Gain idea and thought
sharing
• Reduces tensions
• Encourages the surfacing
of information
• Creates a safe
environment
Barriers to Communication
1. Defensiveness
2. Low Self-Esteem
3. Inarticulateness
4. Hidden Agendas
5. Status
6. Hostility
7. Communication Styles
8. Assumptions
9. Patterns of Communication
10. Distance
DEFENSIVE BEHAVIOROne individual feels threatened or
attacked as a result of the communication
Self-protection is the priority
Energy is spent on constructing a defense rather than on listening
Aggression, anger, competitiveness, and/or avoidance as a result of the communication
• Low Self-EsteemIndividual feels incompetent,
unworthy, or insignificant as a result of the communication
Showing off, self-centered behavior, withdrawal, and/or loss of motivation are common reactions
• Using nonverbals to your advantage
– Become aware
– Don’t contradict your words
with body language
– Know what your face says
– Smiling and head nodding
– Direct eye contact
Nonverbal Communication
• Using nonverbals to your advantage
– Gesture with purpose
– Establish your intimate space
– Touch appropriately
– Note cultural differences
– Monitor your nonverbal cues
• Does not listen well
• Cuts people off and finishes their sentences if they hesitate
• Interrupts to make pronouncements or render a solution or decision
• Does not learn much from interactions with others
• Appears not to listen or is too busy constructing their own response
• Many times misses the point others are trying to make
• May appear arrogant, impatient or uninterested
• Will listen to some people but not others
• Inaccurate in restating the case of others
Characteristics of the Unskilled Communicator
•Not paying attention
•“Pseudolistening”
•Hearing but not listening
•Rehearsing
•Interrupting
•Hearing what is expected
•Feeling defensive
•Listening for a point of
disagreement
Poor Listening Habits
Communication and Leadership
are at the heart of all successes and all failures
within any organization—even in your home!
Getting to the Heart of It All