4 Assertive Communication Training Tips to MASTER Your Leadership Communication

Introduction:

Effective communication is an essential skill to be a successful leader. Without proper communication, leadership styles, decision-making, and team collaboration can suffer. Assertive communication is one of the necessary communication tools that leaders must master to be impactful. Assertive communication is identifying and expressing your thoughts and feelings in a confident, clear, and respectful way. Such communication can help leaders establish boundaries, address conflicts, and ensure positive outcomes. In this blog post, we will discuss four assertive communication training tips for mastering your leadership communication skills.

1.How to maintain being calm in a stressful situation:

Stressful or uncertain situations can trigger a leader's defensive or reactive behavior. To exhibit assertive communication, the leader needs to stay calm and composed during these situations. The first step is to acknowledge the intense emotional wave that has come over you. Then, take control of your breathing and let your emotions pass through you. Ensure to speak in a controlled and assertive tone to deliver your point effectively.

2.How to be firm and articulate how you feel when communicating:

Being assertive requires leaders to be firm in expressing their thoughts and emotions in a respectful manner. Leaders often avoid being firm as they fear it will come across as rude or offending. While delivering firm messages, ensure that it is about the behavior and not the person. State the problem clearly and constructively, and it's essential to be specific to avoid any confusion. Expressing how one feels doesn't have to involve aggression, but it involves finding the delicate balance of being honest yet respectful.

3.How to prepare and come with facts before you start to communicate:

Effective leaders don't wing it when it comes to assertive communication, and it involves adequate preparation. To be assertive, leaders must research and come with valid facts and figures to support their claims. It's hard to communicate confidently with no facts to back the arguments. Leaders should prioritize their research before the interaction to make communication more assertive.

4.How to be inclusive when also being assertive with your communication:

Assertive communication involves understanding that every voice must be heard, and the leader ensures that everyone feels included, especially the minority voices. Leaders should ensure that communication is made for everyone, including the marginalized. It's essential to remain mindful of our extensive diversity while also being assertive in our communication.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, assertive communication is a critical tool that every leader must master. Being assertive requires careful consideration of the message and tone we use when communicating. The tips mentioned above can help leaders develop the necessary skills to communicate in a confident, clear, and respectful way. However, it's essential to note that developing leadership communication skills takes time, practice and requires continuous improvement. Aspiring leaders can take various assertive communication training programs to enhance their skills. At Spark Your Speaking, we offer a public speaking training course called ACE Your Public Speaking, where you can learn these and much more. Sign up on our website and get a limited-time discount offer to kickstart your leadership communication journey.

Kathy 

Executive Speaking Coach

Spark Your Speaking

www.sparkyourspeaking.com

[email protected]