In the past, corporate organisations were formal and uniform in structure, communicating in a top-down manner. This approach, however, is shifting with the millennials becoming the largest segment in workplaces across the world.

This generation of workers brings a more innovative and out-of-the-box approach to the workplace. 91% of millennials aspire to step into leadership roles. This surge in awareness and motivation calls for new and innovative leadership communication styles.

Leadership Communication Styles Quiz

1. A new project is assigned to your team

• You communicate the roadmap for the project and assign tasks to each team member
• You break down the project into smaller tasks and explain to each team member how to go about it
• You present the project to your team like a challenge and motivate them to come up with an innovative way to go about it
• You invite suggestions on how to approach the project and then choose one of the tasks to be done
• You call for a session to discuss the approach on the project and allow your team members to pick the tasks they want

2. You have a strict deadline to complete a difficult project

• You push your team by setting strict targets for each member and then let them make it happen
• You communicate targets to the team and explain the process to each member individually
• You inspire your team to meet the goal by acknowledging the difficulty of the goal
• You explain the urgency to your team, the approach to be taken, and pick one of the tougher tasks to do yourself
• You appraise your team of the situation and call for suggestions on how to meet the deadline

Result

Maximum ‘a’ – Authoritarian – You value authority, care for minute details and are result-oriented.

Maximum ‘b’ – Coach – You like to coach with the focus on the overall development of your team. You promote a culture where employees feel inspired and thrive in.

Maximum ‘c’ – Visionary – You are a thinker with foresight who rides on innovation. Your vision is often larger than the team, even the organization at times. You allow your team to work independently and appreciate risk-takers.

Maximum ‘d’ – Forerunner – You are a leader who likes to lead by example. You keep your team motivated by showing them how things are done rather than leaving it to them. You don’t shy away from contributing equally to the team’s goals.

Maximum ‘e’ – Democratic – You aim to build a culture of trust and collaboration. You are open to learning from employees’ feedback and welcome it. You encourage participation from everyone in your team.

Notice that communication styles need not be restricted to a particular type. You can employ a combination of styles to lead successfully.

Relationship between Leadership and Communication Styles

Competence in communication is a must for an individual to be an effective leader. It is found that a manager’s success is highly correlated with their communication capability.

Different Communication Styles of Leaders

Democratic, visionary, and coach leadership styles utilise a communication style where employees are encouraged to interact with their team members and managers frequently.

An authoritarian leader promotes an organised leadership communication style where the interaction with team members is limited, but the communication with the leader is high. While this promotes a focused and coordinated approach to work, it fails to build a team spirit and can also dampen teamwork.

Communication Styles in Management

Managers who want to establish a good working relationship with their team members will need advanced communication skills. They will also need to have a basic understanding of employee psychology and keep several factors in mind before communicating with their subordinates.

Communication Styles in the Workplace

Effective communication at the workplace occurs when co-workers, team members, and managers are able to send or decipher an intended message or idea effectively. The ability to communicate clearly and concisely can promote the team’s ability to perform various tasks and coordinate with clients and other crucial stakeholders.

Communication Style Assessments

Communication assessments can help find a job applicant with excellent communication skills. It can also be used to detect the training needs of front-line managers and their team members, which can help to create programs that aim to develop relevant communication skills.

Conclusion:

A leader or an employee’s success largely depends on the communication style they follow and the effective communication structures they develop within their team.

Communication is the number one skill gap across companies of all sizes.

MeritTrac’s communication assessment solutions work across three key language elements: written English, spoken English, and active listening comprehension – to holistically assess a candidate’s English language proficiency.

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