We often find ourselves sitting through long and boring PowerPoint presentations where we witness the presenter slowly disappear as they are outperformed by their visuals. The presentation becomes a speed reading contest between members of the audience who sit wondering when the presentation will be over. And as if that were not bad enough, the slides are filled with nothing but uninspiring, overwhelming information. This is a big loss for the presenter. The presenter had a leadership opportunity – that is, they had a chance to inspire the audience and move them to think differently and therefore act differently.

Leadership opportunities are everywhere – not just in formal presentation but also in meetings, conversations, and even emails. But if these interactions are such great opportunities, why do most people deliver uninspiring talks? Communicating as a leader is a skill that can and should be developed.

Focus on the following four guidelines and you’ll lead every time you communicate:

Adopt a Leader’s Mindset.
Communicating as a leader is an inside-out process. This means speaking about what you believe in, your convictions. Move away from simply regurgitating information and instead focus on shaping people’s thinking by putting forward your ideas. The function of a leader is not to transfer information, but rather it is to transform people. And you can do this in everyday interactions – there is no need to wait for formal speaking engagements. With courage, take these opportunities to share your beliefs; even when more senior leaders are present.

Get to the point.
Now that you have adopted a leader’s mindset, you need to organize your thinking in a way that engages others and is easy for your audience to follow. A key component of this is knowing what your point is, communicating it as your message and doing so early in your talk. After all, how many times do we hear people saying: “Get to the point! What’s your point?” The important thing here is to know what your point is before you start speaking. Here’s a logical structure that will set you up for success:

• Open with a grabber that engages your audience and smoothly leads to introducing your subject.
• Communicate your leadership message that reflects your conviction. This is the most important part of your talk, so make it powerful but simple.
• Structure the rest of your talk by walking through evidence that supports your message.
• Close with a call to action that is clear, specific and concrete.

Use this scripting tool next time you have an idea to share and it will make you a more compelling speaker.

Use language that inspires.
A good message is one that uses direct and confident language. After all, no one wants to hear a senior leader say they are “pretty confident” that their workforce plan will help the company to achieve its growth strategy. Also, avoid jargon; it confuses your audience more than you think. Even though you may want to demonstrate your expertise, it is important to remember that communicating as a leader is all about your audience and the fact that they can understand what you’re saying is much more important than using big words or buzz words. Consider the impact your language has on conveying your message every time you communicate.

Find your own leader’s presence.
Finally, your words will have little impact if they are poorly delivered. The good news is that once you have a clear message that you truly believe in, your presence will reflect your genuine conviction and enhance your delivery. To be sure, focus on these four areas as they will ensure you are delivering your communication with the presence of a leader:

• Make eye contact to connect with your audience
• Use pauses to establish a pace that allows your audience time to process what they are hearing
• Express what you are saying by using confident gestures and a strong voice
• Display open body language that aligns with your words

As you can see, communicating as a leader is a skill that you can develop. Follow the four guidelines above and lead every time you communicate!

Taking The Stage® is a program for developing women leaders and has been delivered to over 100,000 women globally. For more information or to register for the course in May or June, contact Kristine Sostar, at ksostar@thehumphreygroup.com or 604.568.7580.